Oprah Winfrey is the first ever black woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award at this year’s Golden Globes—a long-overdue triumph, if you ask us. Finally, the world feels right again.
Awarded to “a talented individual who has made an incredible impact on the world of entertainment”, the Cecil B. DeMille Award has been awarded to such personalities like Frank Sinatra, Robin Williams, and Audrey Hepburn, to name a few. This year, Oprah made sure to stand out amongst the other winners of the past not by the power of looks, but rather by the power of words (in true Oprah Winfrey fashion).
Here’s why her speech will reverberate through the multiple generations to come:
- As stated, she is the first ever black woman to receive the prestigious award—that on its own is historical.
- In the mere span of 9 minutes, Oprah was able to rouse a crowd to their feet multiple times whilst tackling some of the most sensitive topics to talk about: justice, inequality, and the power of the woman.
- These lines: “It’s the insatiable dedication to uncovering the absolute truth that keeps us from turning a blind eye to corruption and to injustice…speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I’m especially proud and inspired by 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 that we tell, and this year we became the story.”
- Oprah gave that speech not for herself, but as a representative of multiple women who have been used and abused by the system: “I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue. They’re the women whose names we’ll never know.”
- She shed light on the heartbreaking story of Recy Taylor—once a young wife and mother who had been raped by multiple white men in the 1940s. She never received the justice she deserved.
- “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. Their time is up. Their time is up.”
- “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.”
We raise a glass not just to Oprah Winfrey, but to all women: these years are finally yours.
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Words by Samantha Masigan
