Why it Matters That Oprah Won the Cecil B DeMille Award
Today I am celebrating Ms Oprah Winfrey, who recently won the Golden Globes Cecil B. DeMille award. It’s given to people who have made a big impact on the entertainment industry, and I couldn’t think of a better person to win this prestigious accolade.
From a Body compassion perspective, this matters to be because many of us tens to put our lives on hold for after we loose the weight and attain the “perfect body “. Oprah has struggle nearly all of her life with her body image, with her weight fluctuations often broadcast on her show for millions to see. But amidst all that she never stopped forging on with her grand visions. Not just with her personal achievement, but championing a diversity of bodies and skin tones of blackness in media.
Oprah always talks about what it feels like to see someone who looks like you on TV, as a full fledged, complicated human being. What it feels like to be seen, to be validated. I remain in awe of the fact that she has run a magazine for 17 years now, a magazine on which we see this dark skinned, not thin woman every single month. What a feat it is, considering that well before “diversity” became a marketing buzzword, Oprah was defying the world with her decision to grace the cover of her magazine every single issue. Championing the representation of black people is an endeavor she firmly held on to, from her choice in acting roles from the Color Purple, Beloved, The Butler, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Greenleaf. Her network OWN continues this legacy with the determination to present black experiences in all aspects from the formely incarcerated, to the rich and famous and everything in between. That to me, is the reason I am so glad she won this award. Because what is impact in entertainment, if not to create programs that make people feel that they are represented in the world? For people to know that they too, have stories that matter regardless or because of, but never in spite of what they look like or which social class they come from.
May we all remember to not put our dreams on a shelf while on the pursuit of the perfect body. May we all have dreams that are in service of humanity. Now that is something to aspire to. Bravo Ms Oprah Winfrey.
