“The Time is Up” For Mental Illness Stigma (With a Video of Oprah’s Speech From the Golden Globes)

Oprah’s speech was absolutely brilliant. When I listened to her speech, I heard her words knowing what the powerful theme of her speech was about and I can relate to it on the terms she was speaking about. It was astonishingly wise, beautiful and powerful and is vitally important, necessary and beneficial for our society and world today.

I am very impressed with the #metoo movement and the “The Time is Up” slogan.

I feel everything Oprah said and everything about the #metoo movement and “The Time is Up” movement also applies to ending mental illness stigma. Let us all remember that.

When you listen to Oprah’s speech, listen to it as it relates to sexual assault and sexual harassment, because it is very important, but also hear her words and listen to how it is the same, similar and strongly applies to ending mental illness stigma, as well.

I know in my heart, mental illness stigma is included in this speech and movement. Somehow, we need to get the rest of society and the world to understand how ending mental illness stigma is equally as important.

Oprah Winfrey’s Speech at the Golden Globe Awards

The following is my summary of some of the most important words from Oprah Winfrey’s speech…

What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have.

I am especially proud and inspired by all the woman 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. 

It is not just a story affecting the entertainment industry, it is one that transcends any culture, geography, race, religion, politics, or workplace.

So, I want to express gratitude to all the woman who have endured years of abuse and assault, because they, like my mother, had children to feed and bills to pay and dreams to pursue.

They are the women, whose names we will never know.

They are domestic workers, and farm workers, they are working in factories, and they work in restaurants, academics, engineering, medicine and science, they are part of the world of tech. and politics and business, they are athletes in the Olympics and they are soldiers in the military…

and there is someone else. In 1944, Reecey Taylor was a young wife and a mother. She was walking home from church, when she was abducted by six armed white men, raped and left blind-folded by the side of the road. They threatened to kill her, if she ever told anyone. Her story was told to the NAACP, and together Reecey Taylor and Rosa Parks sought justice.

For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared to speak their truth to the power of those men,

but their time is up.

The time is up. The time is up. The time is up.

The time is up… here with every woman who chooses to say me too, and every man that chooses to listen.

What I have learned is to say something, about how men and women really behave, to say how we experience shame, how we love and how we rage, how we fail, how we retreat, persevere and how we overcome.

For people who have overcome horrific trauma and experiences, the one quality they all seem to share is the ability to maintain hope for a brighter morning, even during our darkest nights.

A new day is on the horizon, and when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent woman and some pretty phenomenal men fight hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time…

that nobody ever has to say,

“me too,” again.

Hopefully, one day we will never have to say, “me too” when it comes to being shamed and discriminated against, because of mental illness stigma.

The time is up! Sexual assault, sexual harassment, and… 

mental illness stigma must stop now!

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