There’s now a literal Smithsonian exhibit about Oprah, and this just feels right
It’s no secret that Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential people on the planet (even though she’ll probably never run for president). From her groundbreaking daytime talk show to her generous philanthropy, she’s changed the world for the better. And now the actual Smithsonian is honoring Oprah’s work with a museum exhibit.
The “Watching Oprah: The Oprah Winfrey Show and American Culture” exhibition opens tomorrow, June 8th, at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., and will feature costumes, interviews, and other memorabilia from the show’s 25-year run, as well as entries from Oprah’s personal diaries. The exhibition is split into three sections: one about Oprah’s early life, one about her show, and one about her show’s legacy.
On CBS This Morning on June 5th, Oprah said she’s continually stuck by the way fans talk about the show’s influence.
"[‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ has] been off the air seven years as of May 25th, and there is not a day that I go anywhere in the world that there aren’t several people who come up to me and tell me about the impact the show’s had on them. And that is no small thing for me," she told her long-time friend Gayle King.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av1VxV6f5kE?feature=oembed
Oprah is one of the museum’s biggest supporters, so she wasn’t directly involved in curating the exhibit. In another CBS This Morning segment, which aired today, June 7th, she visited the museum to get a preview of “Watching Oprah,” and the experience left her visibly moved.
"I do believe that we had a big impact on the culture and I continue to feel that from people every day." — @Oprah says on hosting "The Oprah Winfrey Show." #WatchingOprah pic.twitter.com/Wk5nCiN6iO
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 7, 2018
For those who need a lesson in O History: She began her career as a broadcast journalist in Baltimore. Later, she went on to start her own show, which was one of the first talk shows to address issues like domestic violence and alcoholism. She’s also produced a Broadway musical and heads O Magazine. At the 2018 Golden Globe Awards in January, she became the first Black woman ever to win the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award.
Plus…she’s Oprah.
With all that she’s done to break barriers and inspire others, Oprah definitely deserves this new exhibit. Road trip to D.C., anyone?
