Ode to Oprah Winfrey

Glamazons,

I’ll never forget the day I grabbed Oprah’s hand like she was an old girlfriend and danced with her at the 2010 MET Gala afterparty.

The rich and accomplished Queen of Daytime Talk was so down-to-earth, friendly and warm I felt like I’ve known her my whole life. In a way, I have.

Over the years, she has remained one of my biggest inspirations as a journalist, as a woman, as a person who works hard to live out their dreams.

What she has accomplished and overcome, with all the odds against her, makes me strive to be better everyday. Over 25 years, we’ve welcomed her into our homes and our lives with open arms, and were made better because of her raw honesty, her buoyant spirit, infectious laugh and infinite wisdom. So many times after sitting in her living room watching her show, I’ve been invigorated by her words. And her story.

She was born with a name we’d all laugh at, she isn’t considered beautiful by mainstream standards and grew up poor, abused, neglected. If we had heard of Oprah then, most people would think nothing special would come of her.

The fact that she thrived anyway is probably what’s most inspiring of all. She never let things that we allow to hurt our confidence and cripple our self esteem — like being a curvy black woman in an industry that glorifies all things white and thin — slow her down. She accomplished more than any of her counterparts on television, and did so while staying true to who she is.

BOSS.

Needless to say, Oprah Winfrey is my hero and I await the day we meet again to discuss my show on OWN (speaking it to existence!). What do you find most inspiring about Oprah?

Kisses,

Glamazon Jessica