‘Was Oprah Right? Is a New Day on the Horizon for Women?’ History Professor Offers Expertise

After Oprah Winfrey’s powerful speech at the Golden Globes, the overwhelming focus has been on speculating the plausibility of her running for president in 2020, giving little attention to the message she was conveying about the sexual abuse faced by women in America.

In the wake of allegations coming to light by the droves in Hollywood and across the country, Oprah said, “a new day is on the horizon.” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution called upon experts, including Anne Blaschke, visiting assistant professor of history at the College of the Holy Cross, to ask: Is Oprah right?

In the article, Blaschke takes a look at how Oprah’s sentiments stack up to those of past feminist movements.

“While previous feminist ‘waves’ have wielded powerful tools to demand equality — for example, the vote, the courts, boycotts, picketing, consciousness-raising — Oprah embodied two that our current ‘fourth wave’ uses in abundance: outrage and empathy,” Blaschke was quoted saying.

“But if previous feminist movements offer perspective,” she adds, “perhaps they remind us that the work will have to continue innovating, long beyond the entertainment industry’s glamorous awards season.”

Read the full article at MyAJC.com.