Oprah Winfrey Addresses The DNC With Riveting Speech

After Michelle and Barack Obama’s “shots fired” speeches during Night 2 of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), Oprah Winfrey didn’t shy away from the opportunity to issue some digs of her own during her address for Night 2 of the highly anticipated political event.

“Who says you can’t go home again?” she asked the DNC crowd that filled the United Center in Chicago, the city home to The Oprah Winfrey Show for the 25 years it aired on television. “After watching the Obamas last night, that was some epic fire, wasn’t it? Some epic fire. We’re now so fired up, we can’t wait to leave here and do something — and what we’re going to do is elect Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States!”

Winfrey, who first endorsed a presidential candidate when former President Obama first campaigned for office in 2008, took the stage and spoke to the current divisiveness in America amid the upcoming November election. Moreover, she used the moment to call out former President Donald Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who previously made comments in 2021 about women who own cats as pets versus having children.

“Despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbors,” Winfrey continued. “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion; we don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them. And if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too.” 

In true Winfrey fashion, her speech highlighted fellow Black women who paved the way for those before them, honoring the New Orleans Four, Gail Etienne, Leona Tate, and specifically the late Tessie Provost, who passed away six weeks ago on July 6. 

“She, like Ruby Bridges and her friends, Leona and Gail, the New Orleans Four they were called. They broke barriers, and they paid dearly for it. But it was the grace and guts and courage of women like Tessie Prevost Williams that paved the way for another young girl who nine years later became part of the second class to integrate the public schools in Berkeley, California,” said Winfrey honing in on Harris’ upbringing.

“And it seems to me that at school and at home, somebody did a beautiful job of showing this young girl how to challenge the people at the top and empower the people at the bottom,” The Color Purple actress continued. “They showed her how to look at the world and see not just what is but what can be. They instilled in her a passion for justice and freedom and the glorious fighting spirit necessary to pursue that passion. And soon, very soon, we’re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father, two idealistic, energetic immigrants how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States. That is the best of America.”

At one point during her address, Winfrey revealed that she had been a registered independent voter for years; however, that did not stop her from voting according to her values.

“You know this is true. You know what I’m telling you is true,” said Winfrey, calling on her fellow independent voters and those who are undecided on which political party to support. “Values and character matter most of all in leadership and in life. And more than anything, you know this is true, that decency and respect are on the ballot in 2024,” she said. “And just plain common sense. Common sense tells you that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz can give us decency and respect.”

Night 3 of the DNC not only included standout moments from Winfrey. The event, hosted by comedian Mindy Kaling, included a new poem from poet laureate Amanda Gorman and speeches from former President Bill Clinton and Maryland’s first Black Governor Wes Moore in support of Kamala Harris.

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