Oprah Winfrey has accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Golden Globes by saying she hopes as the first black women to accept the honor, she hopes it has an impact on young girls watching Sunday’s ceremony.
“A new day is on the horizon,” said said toward the end of her rousing speech. “And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say, ‘Me too’ again.”
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The actress and businesswoman accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at Sunday’s ceremony and received a lengthy standing ovation, which she tried to calm down.
She spoke about the feelings she had as a young girl watching Sidney Poitier win the best actor Academy Award in 1964. She likened the pride she felt watching Poitier, the first black man to win the best best actor Oscar, to the impact she hoped she could have on young women.
Winfrey also addressed the sexual misconduct scandal roiling Hollywood and beyond, telling those watching ‘‘speaking your truth is the most powerful tool you all have.
‘‘For too long women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men,’’ said Winfrey. ‘‘But their time is up. Their time is up!’’
Winfrey made sure to enlarge the issue of sexual harassment from just Hollywood, saying that it affects women whose names we’ll never know.
“I want tonight to express gratitude to all the women who have endured years of abuse and assault because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.”
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Reese Witherspoon introduced Winfrey and described their friendship, forged over long sessions in a makeup trailer while filming ‘‘A Wrinkle in Time.’’ Witherspoon said sitting in the room with Oprah was like taking the best business classes, and her hugs could end wars.
Heather Ciras of the Globe Staff contributed to this report