Oprah Winfrey was nominated and awarded the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement at the Gloden Globes. Upon acceptance she delivered a standing novation speech that captivated her audience. (Ch 1, Pg. 11) Winfrey seemed natural and conversational as she verbally painted a picture of how she sat at home on the linoleum floor and watched the first Cecil B. DeMille award being given to a black man. Now thirty-six years later she offered to share her story of how that positively affected her as a child. Winfrey did not make light of the opportunity; the speech was well papered and did not seem over rehearsed. Winfrey used the award acceptance to bring attention to the unjust treatment of women.
Oprah Winfrey's acceptance speech opened
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Winfrey is now the first black woman to have the same award bestowed upon her, and the empowering speech she presented showed the raw character of why she was nominated for the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement in the first place. Winfrey connected with audiences from many walks of life with her moving words. Winfrey delivered a powerful speech involving controversial subject matter which covered the topic of the Me-Too movement. She mentioned the media in a positive light for brining so much media attention to the topic of sexual harassment in the film industry. Winfrey spoke about the racial injustice and abuse against women; she also spoke about the empowerment of women and the strength people have with their stories. "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 Winfrey) She spoke about Recy Taylor an African American wife and mother who was viciously raped on her way home from church by five-armed white man and how Ms. Taylor refused to listen to death
Winfrey was born in to poverty, where she literally wore potato sacks as clothing. From this home life. she was abused both sexually, and mentally. Winfrey wasn't a wealthy person from the start or even when she decided to start her own TV talk show. Free enterprise may allow for those who have become wealthy to gain even more success, but it is more beneficial for those just starting out. This system allows anyone regardless of race, gender, or age to pursue what they want. Oprah Winfrey was not only a woman but an African American in an otherwise racist world when she began to strive for her future. Without the non-discriminatory system, Winfrey would have not been able to make the impact in the world that she has and still continues to do
To whom? The radio show the speech was given on attracted up to 3,000,000 listeners each week. When giving her speech she was giving it to over a million Americans of all races. Her speech was to those who agreed and disagreed with African American progress and equality. For those who disagreed she spoke to them to possible change their hearts. To those who agreed, she spoke to them giving them inspiration.
To conclude, Winfrey is well known around the world through all of her accomplishments. She is considered a role model to many because she is an influential, very generous, and confident woman. She is a very successful woman who started her career very young and inspires young people to follow their dreams.
Sojourner Truth gave a very meaningful speech known as “Ain’t I a Woman?”, at the 1851 Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Women didn’t have many rights during the mid 19th-centuries, nor did African-Americans. However, Truth acknowledges all of the abuse she has received unfair treatments by giving a heart-melting speech. In her lecture, she uses plenty of loading language to explain her struggles in depth, strong anecdotes of her unpleasant life to make the audience understand her pain and coherent imagery to show how women deserve better. Even though she is a mother and a hardworking human being, she will be nowhere near happiness, all because she is an African-American woman.
Oprah Winfrey achieved great success in her various endeavors, growing from a news reporter in Nashville to the world-famous talk show host she is today. During the 1980s, talk shows were a crucial part of daytime television. Shows were organized based upon their content and varied greatly in subject. The popularity of talk shows led many people to enter this field, leading to a constant struggle for airtime. Oprah’s rise to fame began when she moved from her hometown in Nashville, to college in Baltimore and ultimately to Chicago, where she lives today. She appeared on an early morning television program called A.M. Chicago, which was later retitled The Oprah Winfrey Show which aired its first episode on September 8, 1986. Talk shows like Oprah’s were wildly popular, especially to women, because they focused on entertaining their viewers rather than discussing political problems. The thirty-minute to hour-long programs allowed for people to escape their problems, even if only for a short period of time (Rose). Biographer, Ilene Cooper took on the challenge of writing a biography about the complex and extraordinary life of Oprah Winfrey. In an article on the Kirkus Review website, published in 2010, a critic enjoys how the author of the biography, Up close: Oprah Winfrey, “makes excellent use of many quotes from interviews, Oprah’s own writing and, of course, her television show” (“Oprah Winfrey”). This reviewer appreciates how the biographer uses all of her resources to understand more information about Oprah. Some of Oprah’s greatest contributions to society are her generous donations to several organizations, and the way she encourages individuals to take actions that can not on...
Winfrey’s early life was filled with arduous hurdles from the beginning, she was raised in a small podunk town in Mississippi that was anything but safe for a young girl, but on top of that she was raised by a single mother who was not around nearly enough. However the most formidable part of her upbringing was, she was sexually abused by ‘family friends’ and relatives on multiple occasions starting from the age of just nine. At twelve she was sent away to middle Tennessee to live with her father, there she realised her passion, she began giving speeches in front of her church and ultimately came to the conclusion that she wanted to speak for a living. Without her parents divorce Winfrey might have never figured out her passion of speaking to people until it was too late, this was a hidden advantage in the making of her success. However all too soon she had to leave the comfort of her father’s home where she could pursue her interest and journey back to her mother, where she was sadly yet again
Winfrey, Oprah, and Bill Adler. The Uncommon Wisdom of Oprah Winfrey: A Portrait in her Own Words. New York: Carol Pub. Group, 1997. Print.
Winfrey begins her eulogy by adopting representative phrases to interpret Rosa Parks as an idol. She states that “Rosa Parks was a hero,” and “a great woman” who “reclaimed humanity” and “made life better.” She utilizes these symbolic words in order to characterize Rosa as a superstar who “changed the trajectory of [her] life.” Such descriptions edify Winfrey’s audience because
Overcoming unbearable, yet sometimes even fatal obstacles experienced from generation to generation to becoming some of the most profound leaders in the country we reside in today, tremendously increases my personal perspective on how honored I to be living life as a black woman. While being a student in ADW this semester, I have been exposed to several critical analysis and historical texts written by authors such as Michael Gomez, Paulo Freire, and Ruth Hubbard that informed me about various important aspects that occurred in constructing our African Diaspora. Reading these analysis, I was informed about several positive roles performed by African women and other women of color whether it relates to politics, religion, health, and etc. The
Oprah Winfrey is not only the richest woman in the world, but she is also is known to be one of the most influential black women to ever live in the United States. She is a person “who has become successful and spread it around to those who need it the most” (Oprah 76). She has opened many different foundations to help others, For example, the Oprah Winfrey foundation. As if that already wasn’t enough she made a networking site called Oprah angel, what it does is help raise money for charitable causes around the world. In 2000 Oprah Decided to not only help others with Physical and financial problems, she wanted to go one step further. She published her own magazine called “O” that would give woman advice with how she deals with the same situations that woman do in their everyday lives. One of Oprahs greatest works is a leadership Academy that she established. It is a school in Africa that will prepare students for what awaits them on the other side of those doors. “It is a place where young girls will have the opportunity improve the quality of life for their sisters, and for generations to come” (Owla 12-13).
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to many all around the world. She did not have a very good home life up until the age of 14. She was abused as a child and did not see her mother very often because she was a housemaid who was gone almost every day all day. Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father, was a big service in her life when it came to keeping her in a nonviolent manner. Oprah also had her career going for her when she became Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. When Oprah became Miss Black Tennessee she was offered a radio broadcasting job and a full scholarship to Tennessee. Oprah had quite a few talk shows yet she made the most money off her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and now has her individual network called The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah Winfrey’s influential style greatly impacted those who came after her in the entertainment industry.
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah had a rough childhood (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). She constantly moved from her mother’s house to her father’s house (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). When Oprah lived with her mother she was raped (Lies, 2011). When Oprah lived with her father, she excelled (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah’s rough childhood and thriving high school and college years definitely influenced her contributions to the world later showing ethical leadership (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”).
Oprah Winfrey is an outstanding & determined bright woman. Winfrey is a very advocate person. She has encouraged and inspired many people, but when she was growing up it was rough for her, but after her courageous and outstanding work, she is now a billionaire and helps a lot of charities.
Oprah Winfrey is an African American woman who is known as a U.S. media celebrity. She has done so much to contribute to society as we know it and her legacy will forever live on. Mrs. Winfrey is well known and she uses her platform for positivity and love, which is a huge reason for her success. She is an intelligent leader who worked hard for the spot she has in life and strives to encourage others to be successful also. Mrs. Winfrey has written books, acted and produced films, hosted an infamous television show, and given to charities. Her hard work and dedication has made her one of the most influential women of all time. She strived for greatness and accomplished what she wanted out of life, despite various obstacles that had been in the
... Although Oprah has experienced excruciating periods of her life, she still has proved that anyone can make a difference, no matter what his/her background may be. Oprah is living proof that anything is possible, and dreams do come true. Oprah has proved to people everywhere that true joy in life comes from giving to those who are in need.