WHAT OPRAH DIDN'T SAY. Why She Quit 60 Minutes.

When Apple announced the development of original content for the new Apple TV+ service, the world stopped to listen. The buzz, internally, was...

THIS IS BIG.

OPRAH IS COMING!

For months we had waited, with bated breath, until finally the day arrived.

March 25th. Apple Park. 10 a.m. PDT.

In her April 30th Hollywood Reporter interview, Oprah shared,

"I'd actually gone to [former 60 Minutes executive producer] Jeff Fager prior to the whole CBS (pantomimes an explosion) and said I was going to be working with Apple and that it didn't mean I would never do something [with 60 Minutes] but I would probably be taking all of my energies and putting them into whatever I wanted to do at Apple. It was an interesting experience for me. I enjoyed working with the teams, and I'm probably going to work with some of the freelance people on my Apple stuff, but it was not the best format for me."

"How should I say this? Never a good thing when I have to practice saying my name and have to be told that I have too much emotion in my name."

She continued, "...it's not that it didn't sit very well. I did it. I think I did seven takes on just my name because it was "too emotional." I go, "Is the too much emotion in the 'Oprah' part or the 'Winfrey' part?" I had a deja vu moment because I've actually lived through this once before when I covered a story as a young reporter [where] the family had lost their home and my boss told me that I reported it with too much emotion. I had too much emotion in the story. I thought, "OK, so you're not supposed to be involved in the story, I get that. You're a journalist." But the same thing is true even with a read [at 60 Minutes]. They would say, "All right, you need to flatten out your voice, there's too much emotion in your voice." So I was working on pulling myself down and flattening out my personality — which, for me, is actually not such a good thing."

Oh, for so many years, there wasn't a brown person or another female in a 50-mile radius. I just sort of got used to it...

As one writer notes, "Even icons like Oprah face moments where they have to dig deep and look in the mirror."

But it wasn't what Oprah said that shocked the world. It was what she didn't say that has us wondering...

Oprah, Why Didn't You Finish?

Why didn't you talk about how that felt; to be hired for your unique talents but then told to shrink and fit into a box THEY created?

I can only imagine Oprah might have thought...

I am Oprah.

I Cannot Be a Gayle.

I Can Only Be Oprah.

While listening to Women and People of Color share personal accounts of their own experiences, I am reminded of several common themes that affect their ability to be their authentic selves. Receiving such feedback as,

"You don't need to talk about being Black."

"Can you tone down your voice?"

"Just be a sponge and be quiet."

"You just need to be humble."

"Can you be more like ___?"

These stories become more than just a few anecdotes. They are an indication of something much bigger.

With all of the talk given towards 'bringing your whole self to work,' it is apparent many organizations really mean, 'Bring your whole self to work as long as you park your individualism and authenticity at the door.'

There’s power in allowing yourself to be known and heard, in owning your unique story, in using your authentic voice. And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others. | Michelle Obama, 2018

According to WMC, the Status of Women of Color in the U.S. News Media 2018 report found that U.S. media companies have not hired or promoted enough Women of Color as journalists to allow newsrooms to reflect the perspectives of their readers and viewers.

In fact—based on the newsrooms who replied to the professional association queries—Women of Color represent just 7.95 percent of U.S. print newsroom staff, 12.6 percent of local TV news staff, and 6.2 percent of local radio staff.

If the overall model has a White, old boys’ club mentality and its preservation at its core, identifying my talents and the value I add to an organization, journalism, and my community does not sync with this agenda. | Nikole Hannah-Jones, 2018

Leaders must be committed to breaking down these barriers to inclusion and encourage organizational cultures to stretch and expand.

Why?

Because everything we say and do is in the context of our own culture.

Asking diverse talent to change to be accepted, valued, and respected is unacceptable if you desire to retain them.

Honoring the similarities AND celebrating the differences is the goal. This reinforces an organization’s promise to Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging.

For this reason, it makes perfect sense why someone synonymous with emotion, Oprah Winfrey, would leave 60 Minutes to partner with Apple.

After all, Apple is all about emotion as evidenced by the infamous clip of Apple's CEO Tim Cook shedding a tear on stage during the March 2019 announcement.

When I think of my most humbling experiences in Corporate America, it will always be meeting Oprah during the premier of Lee Daniel's The Butler in 2013 and, years later, working with Tim at Apple.

As Oprah & Tim - two giants of inspiration - merge their creative minds, the world will again stop and listen to see how they will use their unique and authentic voices to change lives and change the world.

WHAT WILL YOU DO to ensure the authentic voices of Women & People of Color are heard, valued, and magnified?

#Oprah #TimCook #Apple #Inclusion #Diversity #Belonging #Women #PeopleOfColor

**Oprah images are from The Hollywood Reporter