Oh, Oprah, you can do no wrong. We’ve all known that to be true for a while. But Oprah Winfrey enlightened us to a different truth during her speech at the 2018 Golden Globe awards as she accepted the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.
Winfrey started by reflecting on her experience as a young girl, watching Sidney Poitier win an Oscar for Best Actor in 1964. Poitier was also given the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1982.
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“It is not lost on me that, at this moment, there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given the same award,” Winfrey said. “It is an honor and it is a privilege to share the evening with all of them.”
“I want all of the girls watching here now to know, that a new day is on the horizon.” @Oprah accepts the 2018 Cecil B. de Mille award. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/hbquC1GBjm
— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 8, 2018
She thanked a number of people who supported her during her entire career, then transitioned seamlessly to championing women.
“Speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have,” Winfrey told the crowd. “I am especially proud of all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories we tell, and this year, we became the story.”
Later in the speech, she said, “For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak the truth to the power of those men. But their time is up.”
Full bit of Oprah's speech tonight: "I've interviewed and portrayed people who've withstood some of the ugliest things life can throw at you, but the one quality all of them seem to share is an ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during our darkest nights." pic.twitter.com/7kfD4GpxIR
— Sopan Deb (@SopanDeb) January 8, 2018
She powerfully added her encouragement that we all do our part in the fight.
“So, I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘me too’ again.”
Her words inspired the audience of A-listers to stand and applaud before her speech was even over. And you can bet the internet was cheering right along with them.
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Many are calling Oprah’s speech a “call to arms” and a sure sign of her presidential bid in 2020.
What a profound speech by @Oprah! Elegance and excellence. We as men are listening. A new day is dawning!
— Dr. Eddie Connor (@EddieConnorJr) January 8, 2018
I didn't get it all but @Oprah made a fantastic call to arms
"For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men- but their time is up…a new day is on the horizon"— Melissa Silverstein (@melsil) January 8, 2018
if @Oprah ran I’d be happy to be an intern #QueensSpeech https://t.co/0pWRxKnCej
— alyssa “what’s next?” mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) January 8, 2018
Oprah, finishing speech, smiles knowingly and fades into thin air.
Cut to
Oprah sits cross-legged on a large, flat rock, many light-years away, watching twin suns set from atop a mountain on a distant planet.
End scene.
— Alexander William, Protector of the 9 Realms (@AlexAllTimeLow) January 8, 2018
When Oprah is speaking at the Golden Globes and your goals shift to VP… pic.twitter.com/3ghEVMmCwF
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 8, 2018
Oprah is everything.
— Neil Patrick Harris (@ActuallyNPH) January 8, 2018
What did you think of Oprah’s powerful Golden Globes speech?
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