by Valerie Jean-Charles


If I had to crown someone the queen of respectability politics, my scepter and sash would certainly go to Oprah Winfrey. Now, don’t get me wrong: I LOVE Oprah. From watching her mimic Tina Turner’s mannerisms to being engrossed by her highly publicized interviews with newsmakers, I respect Auntie O as a cultural icon and role model for success—she has been able to create these roles for herself, ones that previously did not exist to Black women. However, with money, fame, and an ever-growing generational gap, it’s become quite obvious that Oprah is severely out of touch with what Millennials and those on the lower-rung of the socioeconomic ladder go through day-in and day-out to survive, let alone what we must do to be heard in the midst of perpetual violence and inequality.

by Cherise Luter

Full disclosure, I am a huge fan of Oprah Winfrey. Being that she is a billionaire, head of a media empire, beloved the world over, and is visibly unapologetic regarding the decisions she has made for herself personally and professionally, I consider her a role model for the ages. I look at her and see all that is possible for myself as an entrepreneurially minded black woman.