We all knew the day would come.
There were rumors in the past, but nothing solid. And Friday afternoon, with a press conference, some tears and two-year plan it was all confirmed. The Oprah Winfrey Show’s “sun will set” in 2011, as Harpo Production Company President Tim Bennett said.
Just earlier this week I was having a conversation…well more of an argument…about Oprah and her “duty” to the black community. For years she’s done philanthropy work here and across the world for those in need. The beneficiaries of her contributions, I was arguing, usually have some type of connection with her. But the two black men I was talking to argued that Oprah is exclusionist.
Guy 1: I’m telling you, she never does things for us. You see any black people working at her magazine?…hell no! Look at that staff photo in her last issue. Only two black folks and one of them is her! She needs to be an equal opportunity employer!
Me: Well, what about her school in Africa? That was a big deal. She does things for our people.
Guy 2: But what about our people here?? Our kids need an education too.
Guy 1: And even then, what about the little boys in that community? They don’t need an education? The school is all girls, that’s sexist. And it’s not even for all the girls in the town, it’s hard to get into. They have to take a whole bunch of test to get in. I’m telling you she’s not for us.
After their points I really had nothing to say. I was speechless in an argument I felt obligated to fight.
But honestly, they had some valid points: What about our people here? Where are all the black folks at O
Magazine? And yea, those boys in Africa need an education too!
It seems like our community always expects black people in a positions of power to have a main focus of helping us out. I think part of our elation when President Obama won, was that we’d finally have someone to “hold it down” for us in a big office. And I’m all for that. It’s an African custom when moving up the ladder of life to pull those up from behind.
So, the juries still out on Ms. Winfrey. At times I think she could do a better job uplifting our people, especially our men. But at the end of the day she’s done a knockout job over 20 years. Her ratings and influence alone are things Tyra Banks could only dream of. For goodness sake her image alone—of being a plus size brown skinned sister on a daily show—says enough.
What do you think?
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Danielle Kwateng is a faithful journalist who has written for Upscale Magazine, The Root and Black America Web. She lives in NYC and her blog, “The Lush Life”, explores the trails, tribulations and utter craziness of being a young black socialite with a moral conscious.
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