Oprah Winfrey is one of the world's most renowned humanitarians and a very successful woman. Her life story is inspirational, and her ability to tell that story is phenomenal. This was showcased at this year's Golden Globes, during which she won the Cecil B. de Mille award.

I watched the award show that night, not expecting to get much out of it except for some classic celebrity entertainment (which I got... @James Franco), but it ended up being one of the most impactful programs I've ever watched — all due to Ms. Winfrey's speech.

The #MeToo movement is widely known by most at this point, with thousands of women and men, from students to celebrities, posting about their experiences with sexual assault and harassment on social media using the hashtag. The stories have been covered by national publications. The New York Times started a newsletter called "The #MeToo Moment" solely based on this campaign.

"Time's Up" is a related, more recent movement that started in Hollywood. Actors such as Ansel Elgort, Blake Lively, and more have posted on their social media pages supporting the campaign by saying "time's up" for sexual assault and offering support to victims. If #MeToo's purpose is to raise awareness, "Time's Up" is a way to take action. All of the Golden Globe attendees, men, and women (that I saw) wore black to acknowledge this new movement.

Ms. Winfrey's speech tied the theme of the night together perfectly through a kind of storytelling only she can do.

She began by talking about how seeing Sidney Poiter win an Oscar for best actor meant so much to her because she "had never seen a black man being celebrated like that." She acknowledged that her winning the Cecil B. de Mille award would probably have the same effect on little girls watching that Poiter winning that Oscar had on her.

Throughout the speech, she addressed many prevalent themes such as the press, women and work, women and sexual assault, social justice, hope, and advocacy. She also told the story of Recy Taylor, and how she bravely spoke her truth so many years ago.

And speaking your truth was the one of the main things Ms. Winfrey emphasized.

"I want to say that I value the press more than ever before as we try to navigate these complicated times, which brings me to this: what I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have," Ms. Winfrey said. "And I'm especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories. Each of us in this room are celebrated because of the stories that we tell, and this year we became the story."

I watched the awards show that night with three of my friends, and we were all in awe when Ms. Winfrey finished.

"My initial reaction was overwhelming hope," said Elizabeth Garzon, a junior at Iowa State who watched the program with me. "And then nostalgia because it's been a long time since I've seen a speech that truly inspired me and a person that is a true leader. It meant a lot because Oprah is a woman who stands up for and celebrates women. Her speech spoke about the future and how it will be different for women and girls. And I cried because that's all I could ever ask for."

There have even been some calls for Ms. Winfrey to run for president in 2020, and some have said that her speech could have been alluding to a presidency campaign.

Whether Ms. Winfrey decides to run or not, I know that her speech will stay with me forever. As someone who has always supported feminism and calls herself a feminist, it spoke to me in a way I never imagined would happen. I never thought someone would get up and advocate so clearly for what they believed in regarding something as (unfortunately) controversial as women's empowerment and the reporting of sexual assault.

Here's to a new day on the horizon.

The full transcript of Ms. Winfrey's acceptance speech: http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/08/entertainment/oprah-...

The full video of Ms. Winfrey's acceptance speech: https://youtu.be/4CGBSGEkbKA