Tyler Perry’s Gift Cards Were Stopped, But Our Tradition Wasn’t

secretary johnson thanking tsa employees
Via Wikimedia Commons
Briona Lamback
April 1, 2026

Due to the partial government shutdown that began on February 14, Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers have missed $1 billion in pay. And when Tyler Perry tried to ease the financial pain of unpaid TSA workers at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, officials stopped him.

Perry's representatives tried to offer workers cash. When the cash was refused, they returned with $1,000 gift cards. Workers were forced to return the gift cards because federal ethics rules prohibit government employees from accepting gifts.

What Perry did is what we've always done to survive: mutual aid. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott, our people created a private carpooling network that served 17,000 Black riders and was sustained by women chefs who sold food to pay for gas and car maintenance. That’s how we defeated anti-Blackness in the bus system and took care of each other at the same time.

While TSA workers are now being paid again, the message remains the same. We can and should rely on each other to meet our needs when the government fails to.

Now is the time to realize that we have all we need to build a thriving, Black future that's completely self-determined for us, by us. Mutual aid is a critical component of getting there.

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