Upon arriving in the U.S., Perry volunteered for the U.S. Army where he served for two years of active duty and four years on reserve status. He is the recipient of several service medals and was honorably discharged with the rank of Specialist E-5. Perry then attended college on the G.I. Bill, graduating from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in Political Science, and later studied for an M.A. in Public Policy and Administration. While in college Perry was a student leader and student rights activist.

After college Perry got involved with community organizing and gained recognition as an effective advocate and strong leader in his community. He was appointed to the local Community Board where he demonstrated the leadership skills that propelled him to election by his colleagues as Chairman of the Community Board. He was reelected to five consecutive one-year terms.

Perry was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 1992 to represent the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn. He has since been reelected and is serving his eighth consecutive term in office. Assemblyman Perry is currently the Assistant Majority Leader of the Assembly and also the elected Chairman of the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators. Assemblyman Perry is a member of the New York State Caucus of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislators and also the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) where he serves as Vice Chair for New York and Pennsylvania (Region 2). Assemblyman Perry currently serves on the New York Assembly committees on- Banks, Codes, Insurance, Labor, Transportation and Ways and Means.