Rapper Big Sean has thanked producer Tyler Perry for honoring his grandmother in the latest movie, The Six Triple Eight.
Tyler’s new release honors an all-Black, all-female Women’s Army Corps unit in the US Army deployed overseas during World War II.
Big Sean’s late grandmother, Mildred V. Leonard, was said to be a member of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which was the focus of the film.
The musician reportedly attended the movie premiere in Los Angeles with his mother, where he expressed gratitude to Perry for the work.
“I’m just proud of them, not just my grandmother, proud of all of them…It was an honor for our family to represent her,” he stated, showing photographs of her late grandmother at the event.
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Mildred V. Leonard, according to records, was posthumously awarded in 2022 the Congressional Gold Medal, recognizing her as one of the first Black women captains in the U.S. Army.
“I told Tyler Perry how thankful I was because it’s such an overlooked crucial piece of American history and Black history…I was so happy to be raised by such strong Black women that are embedded in my DNA,” Big Sean added.
The Six Triple Eight features Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams and other acts like Oprah Winfrey and Susan Sarandon.
Last month, Tyler Perry released the official trailer for the film, scheduled to premiere on Netflix on December 20.
It was staged to reflect the battalion’s “extraordinary mission” of clearing a massive three-year backlog of mail for American troops in just 90 days.
Producers said it was to highlight the untold contributions of the trailblazing women and offer a glimpse into the women’s determination and resilience amidst the harsh realities of war and discrimination.
Tyler Perry’s inspiration for the film is said to have emerged from a meeting with Lena Derriecott King, one of the last surviving members of the all-female Army Squad called the “6888th.”
One of Tyler’s projects, Beauty In Black, went live on October 24 and attracted top stars to the grand premiere held at the Atlanta iPic Theater.
