Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Oprah's Oration

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It was a speech that only Oprah could do. The entire Golden Globes award show was unique given by the Hollywood Foreign Press in that all the actors and actresses chose to wear black in solidarity for the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movement of people having the courage to speak up and protest sexual abuse everywhere. Even the press spoke about the assault on them with all the fake news out there. It was an award show like no other.
Oprah was there to receive the Cecil B. Demille award for career achievement like George Clooney won in 2015, Denzel Washington got in 2016 and Meryl Streep was awarded in 2017. This year it was Oprah’s turn and she accepted the honor in her own unique way that we are all accustomed to hearing from her. We all grew up with her watching her talk show for years, viewing her movies , reading her magazine, craving her generosity when she gave away cars to her entire audience or granting full educations to the suppressed  and listening to her warm inspiration on serious issues. She never spoke to just a black audience, she spoke to everyone.
Oprah has been speaking up about sexual harassment all her career. She spoke about harassment in many places but she left out speaking up about the sexual predator in the White House who likes to grab women by the pussy and has 19 women speak up about his unwanted sexual advances. Why isn’t the cry loud enough demanding that Trump steps down from his job? Well, now people are wishing that Oprah will make a run to be President in 2020. Hey! If Trump can be President with no political background, no military service or knowledge of international affairs, I guess another TV personality can be President to. But she in her acquired wealth came from a humble background and spent her life uplifting people, being empathetic to people’s needs in a humanitarian way. Trump’s popularity rose from being a powerful driven leader who took pride in firing people. Sigh!
Award shows aren’t supposed to be about activism but between giving actors and actresses awards for their film prowess, a message of no nonsense anymore came out clear. Her acceptance speech was an unscripted natural and free from inside her,  master class in speech making. Unlike Trump who makes you cringe every time he opens his mouth, she was inspirational.  She said that she was hopeful for the time when no one has to say “me too” on sexual abuse ever again. She is the living example of overcoming obstacle’s. Her life was a path to overcoming rejection, discrimination and being marginalized.
She spoke of the inspiration of seeing the first black man receiving an award on TV, Sidney Poitier but she didn’t mention our first black President Obama. She spoke of a little known black woman who was raped and law officials did little or nothing to find her rapist. Oprah didn’t mention hew own sexual abuse as a child. There is a new documentary called The Rape of Recy Taylor for everyone to see. Many black women were raped since slavery days and their cries went ignored but Recy Taylor spoke up and exposed the lack of justice for rape victims.
In 1988 Oprah spoke up on a show about her abuse from a 19 year old cousin who raped her. In 1986 she became the first black woman to host her own nationally syndicated talk show. Oprah never shies away from discussing uncomfortable topics but she does it in a natural comfortable way that includes you in the discussion. Her platform throughout the years is to give a voice to the voiceless and to empower us all. Trump has managed to divide the world and made us all just want to scream out loud wearing our worn out protest shoes.
Before this year when so many famous and important men have fallen off their pedestal Oprah did a popular show where grown men held up their photos of them at the young age when pedophile priests abused them. That was years ago. She gave those abuse victims a voice. Will she give America a new voice in 2020? She just might be rich and powerful enough to take on Trump and his thugs in the next election.

   

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