Media icon Oprah Winfrey officially made history on Sunday (Jan. 7) night as the first black woman ever to be bestowed with the Cecil B. Demille award in all of the years the Golden Globes have taken place.
Given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press, the award acknowledges those who've made "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment." Winfrey definitely fits the bill when you consider her television, acting, producing, journalistic, and philanthropic efforts over her 25-plus year career.
Other past recipients of the honor include Denzel Washington, Sidney Poitier, Barbra Streisand, George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Audrey Hepburn, Steven Spielberg, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Elizabeth Taylor, and more.
Not only was this achievement special, but so were the intensely powerful words that Winfrey declared in her acceptance speech. During the passionate monologue, the media mogul addressed how much she knows this honor will mean for young black girls looking at her on TV. “It is not lost on me that, at this moment, there is some little girl watching as I become the first Black woman to be given the same award,” Winfrey said. “It is an honor and it is a privilege to share the evening with all of them.”
Then, the journalistic legend spoke about the importance of the press and listening to women and young girls who dare to speak up. Winfrey used civil rights activist Recy Taylor's -- who was kidnapped, brutally gang-raped by six white men in 1944 in Alabama while walking home from church, and left blindfolded on the side of the street -- story as an example of powerful men who've used their status to prey on women who are deemed as weaker. But, Winfrey looked right into the camera and affirmed that their time was up! Watch her deliver the breathtaking speech below.
See some of the best Twitter reactions to the legendary Oprah Winfrey receiving the Cecil B. Demille award, as well as her incredibly powerful speech below. People are now begging the icon to run for U.S. presidency now more than ever because of her dynamic words!
Photo: Getty Images