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Daniel Kyong

Ms. Jorgensen

English 10 Honors, Period 1

18 February 2018

A New Era of Equality

Gender and minority equality has become an increasingly prevalent topic in today’s

society. Movements such as #MeToo and Black Lives Matter have exposed the unjust, horrific

treatment of specific races, genders, and other discriminated groups. In her acceptance speech for

the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, Oprah Winfrey, a leading American media

executive, actor, and talk show host, observes the current state of gender equality and

empowerment, and emphasizes the substantial changes that are changing the way we see, treat,

and think of underprivileged groups. Winfrey claims the days when women would be tormented

for years without any sort of say are over, and the men who have caused abuse, discrimination,

and terror are running out of time. The era of equality for all humans, regardless of race or

gender, is on the horizon and for that, we must thank the brave men and women who have

continued to fight for equal rights for all.

Winfrey supports her claim by introducing her own personal anecdote. In this anecdote,

she explains her personal feelings and reactions to the first black man to be awarded the Oscar

for the best actor. She recalls the awe and excitement she felt when seeing “a black man being

celebrated like that” (Winfrey 5). She then transitions to her current state, the first black woman

to win the Cecil B. DeMille award at the Golden Globes, and the awe and excitement that some

little girls watching must feel while seeing her recieve that award. Winfrey outlines that change
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is happening fast and pivotal moments such as these are largely due to the efforts of several men

and women who have empowered themselves by “speak[ing] up and sharing their personal

stories” (Winfrey 27). Thus leads to another anecdote about Recy Taylor, a young wife and

mother who was raped while walking home from a church service. Oprah Winfrey uses this

anecdote to show the horrific treatment that has been cast upon members of underprivileged

groups for decades. Women such as Recy Taylor were forced to hide their stories and withstand

the same verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. However, the time were “women have not been

heard or believed if they dare speak the truth to the power of these men” is up. Winfrey praises

the few, brave souls who have spoken out about their experiences, ignoring the side products of

abuse and tension. She claims that these few are the ones to thank for a new era of equality for

all humans.

Winfrey’s argument contains an abundance of emotional appeal, appealing to her

listeners’ sense of pity and horrificness, when she explains the stories of those that have suffered

abuse and neglect in the past. She states “she was abducted by six armed white men, raped, and

left blindfolded by the side of the road coming home from church. They threatened to kill her if

she told anyone…” She also utilizes emotional appeal when describing her childhood

experiences, appealing to her listeners who have similar experiences of poverty and financial

instability. She states “a kid watching from the cheap seats as my mom came through the door

bone tired from cleaning other people’s houses.” On the other hand, Oprah decides not to include

any logical or factual reasoning, and strictly focuses on creating an emotional, heart-aching

speech. Ultimately, by using these rhetorical appeals, Winfrey creates feelings of pity and

sadness to further advance her claim.

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Read in 2018, Winfrey’s speech maintains relevancy for its viewers and their many

perspectives.. Though not clearly stated in the text, the speech includes relevant, correct

information to back her claims. However, her speech lacks credibility, as herself and others she

refers to aren’t specifically stated as credible. While Oprah’s celebrity and activist status may

provide credibility, her listeners can never be sure if her many references are qualified to talk

about this topic. Winfrey also refrains from using any statistical or factual evidence, which

would have added much more credibility to her claims. Therefore, many of her anecdotes and

statements are without proof or evidence to back them up.

Overall, Winfrey poses an effective claim that a new era of gender and minority equality

and empowerment is here. Her claims are supported with an abundant amount of rhetorical

appeals, which help create emotion and logical thinking in her listeners. Though not stated as an

expert on the topic, the author’s personal experiences as well as others’ anecdotes provide strong,

relevant evidence for her claims.

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Works Cited

“Read Oprah Winfrey’s rousing Golden Globes speech” ​CNN​, Central News Network, 10

January 2018.