The broadcasting legend was recognised with the Cecil B. DeMille special award at the 2018 ceremony. Over the course of her speech, she recognised the tribulations of generations past and the contributions of the press to uncovering the truth. After telling the story of Recy Taylor, a black woman who was brutalized by a gang of white men who were never prosecuted, Winfrey expressed hope that the future might be a little bit better and brighter.
"In my career, what I've always tried my best to do, whether on television or through film, is to say something about how men and women really behave. To say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere, and how we overcome. I've interviewed and portrayed people who've withstood some of the ugliest things life can throw at you, but the one quality all of them seem to share is an ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during our darkest nights.
"So I want all the girls watching here now to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say 'Me too' again."