00:00I had just graduated high school when I first saw this honoree burst onto the scene in a one-woman
00:06Broadway show that made me both laugh and cry. Her comedy and perspective on life in general
00:13literally shook the ground like an earthquake and I was captivated by her uniqueness. I looked at
00:19my father and literally said, oh my god daddy, she looked just like me, she looked just like me,
00:26oh my god. I loved that her hair was coarse like mine. I loved that her skin was dark brown like
00:33mine and that she had her own unique beauty like me. I watched her hone the art of mastering her own
00:40story and I became an instant super fan and she became my forever comedy shero. That groundbreaking
00:47Broadway show was the catalyst for her being cast in the role of Celie in The Color Purple, which led
00:52to the first of many of her Oscar nominations. That movie and her acting is so iconic that I can't
01:00think of any black person who can't quote at least two or three lines from that film at any given moment.
01:07I mean, to this day, I still text my exes, until you do right by me, everything you do gonna fail.
01:16But that's how memorable every role she plays becomes. She's awe-inspiring and paved the way for
01:25so many black actresses like me to have a chance to flourish because I didn't think somebody that
01:30looked like me could be on television and she just changed my life. In addition to her critically acclaimed
01:38work on stage and screen, she also holds a PhD in literature from New York University. She's a
01:44philanthropist, philanthropist, philanthropist, y'all knew I wasn't gonna get that right, and a socially
01:49conscious activist who fights for human rights, AIDS research and children's causes. This sister's act
01:56is unparalleled and whether she's sharing her view, chatting with a ghost or fighting them in Mississippi,
02:02playing a nun on the run, a hyena with an attitude or helping her friend get her groove back,
02:08she's a living legend who has given the world so much, so much needed comic relief. She's also part
02:17of an exclusive club that boasts only 16 members total, who like her have won an Emmy, a Grammy,
02:24a Oscar and a Tony. I'm gonna be in that club because you know I like clubs. Now let's take a peek at some
02:31of the unforgettable roles that have made this extraordinary honoree a beloved household name.
02:37Whoopi is a fabulous broad. Whoopi is an original. Whoopi is compassionate, wise, generous. Whoopi
02:55is wonderful. Whoopi is sage, fearless and unapologetic. Whoopi is a friend. All those words
03:03and a lot more. She's truly a blessing. I first became aware of Whoopi Goldberg when I saw her one
03:11woman show in San Francisco. This one show brought her to prominence and not only in San Francisco,
03:21but in the country as well. I said to myself, you know what, this woman is good. She was the most
03:28extraordinary person I had ever seen. And it was the beginning of a long and extraordinary career.
03:37What was it like working with Whoopi on The Color Purple? It was fabulous. My favorite scene,
03:44it was the kissing scene. Lord have mercy. A great deal of film is about the choices that the director
03:51makes, but also the choices that an actor makes as well. I walk in on the set. I was like panicked and she
04:01looked me right in the eye and she says, no Johnny. The ghost, it's a classic. It always makes me feel good.
04:09Everything comes from a place of truth and honesty with her. She's managed to get us to understand
04:21a lot about ourselves. The fact that Whoopi is an EGOT winner is a testament really to her versatility
04:30and the depth of her talent. You know, to be able to check off all those boxes at the highest level,
04:37it's truly an accomplishment. I'm very, very glad and very honored that you are tonight receiving
04:45the Essence Black Woman in Hollywood Award. Essence Magazine is an incredible,
04:51incredible moment for them to honor you, Whoopi Goldberg. It's been a pleasure to sit at the same
04:57table with you all these years and let's keep doing it. Love you. I know your mom is looking down on you
05:03with a lot of pride and big heart warm smiles and big hugs. So congratulations, my darling. You've
05:13always been there to give me words of encouragement to support me. I love you and I can't wait to see
05:21more amazing things that you do.
05:35Here she is, your honoree and my play mama, the EGOT and the greatest of all time,
05:41Whoopi Goldberg! Yay! Oh, hey. Sorry, wait. I was just trying to get ready,
05:48you know, because y'all gave me this wonderful award. I want it to look good. Hold on. You know,
05:55doing this stuff through Zoom is not easy because you don't always look as good as you want to, but
06:01I'm doing my best. So, first of all, thank you. Thank you Essence, you know, to get an award as
06:11part of Black Women in Hollywood. I just, I've always been here. I've always tried to be me
06:19and bring, you know, some respect to being a Black woman and having respect for other Black women.
06:27I always thought that was important. And so, I think that the idea that you are giving out
06:33an award to Black women in Hollywood is a great thing because Black women in Hollywood don't get a
06:39lot of awards, but you, uh, you've made it a little bit easier. You made it a little bit nicer to
06:47kind of move through all of the mishigas that is Hollywood. And, you know, I've been a Black woman my whole
06:53life. Uh, same face, you know, jowls, butts, everything is mine. Okay, I got a little extra
07:01hair in my hair, but that's, you know, we all have a little something like that. But to be a Black woman
07:09in the world is not always the easiest thing, as you all know. But I appreciate the fact that Essence has
07:17always made it very clear that we didn't have to be anybody else's idea of Black woman, that we were
07:24free to be us regardless of who was trying to tell us who we were supposed to be. And that, for me,
07:32has made you, in my mind, always number one, Essence. I'm just telling you. And my mom and I
07:39bought the first issue because we heard there was going to be a magazine just for us. And it turned out
07:46it was just for us. And it was cute. We were cute. And we knew we were cute because we saw it. We saw
07:53that we were represented. And other Black women were seeing, we were seeing each other. It was like
08:00getting a window into Black women. And we saw each other. And so I can't do anything but say thank you so much.
08:07Thank you for this honor. Thank you for allowing me to be myself. Even though it might have been a
08:12little strange sometimes, but you know, that's life, right? I just thank you all so much. And
08:18I look forward to more time with all of you.
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