A week after endorsing Kamala Harris with a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention, Oprah Winfrey was in Venice on Thursday. Winfrey was there to present her friend, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, with the DVF Awards, which celebrate the work of exceptional women.
At the event, which was held on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival, Oprah spoke to: diverse About Harris, who she said has gone from “hiding in plain sight” until recently to now, as a presidential candidate, “stepping into the true vision of herself.”
This year’s DVF Award winners are: Jacinda Ardern, former Prime Minister of New Zealand; Yael Adami, co-founder and leader of the Israeli Women Wage Peace movement; Reem Hajajreh, co-founder and director of the Palestinian Women of the Sun; climate justice activist Che Bastida, co-founder of the Land Restitution Initiative; Italian reproductive rights advocate Alessandra Kosterman; and children’s rights advocate Graça Michele.
Diane von Furstenberg with Oprah Winfrey in Venice
Courtesy of DVF Awards
Oprah described these women as “women who give and give and give,” noting that for many of them “it's a lonely adventure trying to empower others in a world that doesn't want to see you empowered.”
Then she talked about Kamala Harris and how she was empowered.
When asked what would happen to America if Trump were re-elected president, Oprah said she would rather highlight the positive side and talk about what would happen if Harris became president.
When asked what she considered the most positive aspect of Harris's personality, Oprah began by describing the transformation she has witnessed since Joe Biden stepped down from the presidency.
“It was like she stepped out of the shadows,” Oprah said. “She was literally hiding in plain sight and she was in this prison where I feel like she did what millions of women around the world do: make yourself a little bit smaller; a little bit narrower; a little bit darker; just to fit in with the world, so that she doesn’t make other people look less than them.”
But now, Harris has “let go of that,” Oprah explained. “And she’s literally stepped into the real vision of herself. I think she’s finally stepped into the calling that was there and that she just heard.”
“This is the most positive thing, because what you see is her true self, and there's nothing more powerful than having your personality reflect what your soul really came to be,” Oprah said.
“I think this is a historic moment,” she added.
“Anything that comes along becomes a moment for the world, not just for her, at this moment. What I see now is a level of authenticity that feels honest, feels welcoming, feels hopeful,” Oprah concluded.
