Oprah Shines Light on Other Women During Variety Acceptance Speech
It's no secret that Oprah Winfrey is arguably the most powerful woman in media, so her being selected as this year's Variety Power of Women honoree was more than deserving. In the company of other honorees Salma Hayek Pinault, Anna Kendrick, Gwyneth Paltrow and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Oprah took the time during her speech to recognize other remarkable women in the room who showed the true essence of leadership.
Introduced by famed director Ava DuVernay, Oprah, recognized for her incredible work with the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation, shared what she considers the true meaning of philanthropy to be.
"I have always known this about celebrity," she said. "The real power is understanding that what Salma has done, what Susan has done, what Gwyneth has done, what Rebecca Welsh (founder of the HALO foundation) has done ... is you, too, can do [it] because true philanthropy comes from living from the heart of yourself and giving what you have been given."
She continued her speech by encouraging everyone to make a difference in their own way: "What we've done, you can do." she said. "The real empowerment comes when each person leaves this room and makes a decision."
Speaking of her "daughters" from her all girls' school in Africa, she remembered some inspirational words that the late Dr. Maya Angelou once shared with her: Your legacy is seen in those whose lives you've touched. "It's a beautiful thing to receive an award and to be on the cover of Variety," she said. "But the true reward comes from the lives you have been able to touch and you know that you have impacted."
The latest issue of Variety magazine, which Oprah is covering, is currently on newsstands everywhere. See her speech in the video below.
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(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
