“A prestigious award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.” Who else could possibly deserve such an honor more than the legendary Oprah Winfrey? At the 2018 Golden Globes on January 7, Oprah became the first black woman to win the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Despite being an icon, she delivered a speech that was as humble as it was powerful, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who watched.
Let me take you back to the moment when Oprah began her speech. “Thank you, thank you all. Thank you,” she said with heartfelt gratitude. She then shared a personal memory from her childhood: “In 1964, I was a little girl sitting on the linoleum floor of my mother’s house in Milwaukee, watching Anne Bancroft present the Oscar for Best Actor at the 36th Academy Awards. She opened the envelope and said five words that literally made history: ‘The winner is Sidney Poitier.’ Up to the stage came the most elegant man I had ever seen. I remember his tie was white, and, of course, his skin was black. I had never seen a black man celebrated like that. I tried many times to explain what a moment like that means to a little girl, a kid watching from the cheap seats, as my mom came through the door, bone-tired from cleaning other people’s houses. But all I can do is quote and say that the explanation in Sidney’s performance in Lilies of the Field — ‘Amen, amen, amen, amen.’”
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Oprah continued with a powerful acknowledgment of her historic achievement: “In 1958, Sidney received the Cecil B. DeMille Award right here at the Golden Globes, and 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. This is not just an honor; it’s a privilege to share the evening with all of them, and with you, the incredible men and women who’ve inspired me, challenged me, sustained me, and made my journey to this stage possible. What I know for sure is that 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.”
Oprah went on to highlight the broader impact of the #MeToo movement. “Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell. And this year, we became the story. But it’s not just a story affecting the entertainment industry—it’s one that transcends any culture, gender, geography, race, religion, politics, or workplace. So I want to express gratitude tonight to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, have children to feed, bills to pay, and dreams to pursue. They are the women whose names we’ll never know—domestic workers, farm workers, factory workers, restaurant workers, academics, engineers, doctors, scientists, tech innovators, politicians, and business leaders. They are athletes in the Olympics and soldiers in the military.”
“For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of men—but their time is up,” Oprah declared with conviction. “In my career, what I’ve always tried my best to do, whether on television or through film, is to say something about how men and women really behave. To talk about how we experience shame, how we love, how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and overcome. 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 and some pretty phenomenal men. Thank you.”
Oprah wasn’t alone in this moment of triumph. Her lifelong best friend, Gayle King, was visibly emotional in the audience, celebrating her friend’s historic win. Meanwhile, Oprah’s partner of many years, Stedman Graham, sat proudly in the crowd, beaming with pride as Oprah delivered her powerful message from the stage.
Reese Witherspoon, who co-starred with Oprah in the upcoming film A Wrinkle in Time, introduced her with a heartfelt tribute. “There are a lot of people known on a first-name basis, but there’s only one person whose name is a verb, an adjective, and a feeling—and that is Oprah,” Reese began. “When you say her name, everyone stops and listens. I got to work with Oprah on our movie, A Wrinkle in Time, where we spent four hours in the makeup trailer almost every day. If you can find a way to be stuck in a small space with Oprah for four hours, do it—it’s like going
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