Oprah Winfrey said in 2013 that she thinks “generations” of older people “just have to die” to solve the problem of racism.
WATCH (comment starts at 2:20):
In an interview with BBC, Winfrey was asked by Will Gompertz about racism and how it has changed over generations. (RELATED: Bill Kristol Unleashes Tweet Storm Apparently Endorsing Oprah For President)
She responded by saying that it has “gotten better,” leading Gompertz to ask, “Are you saying problem solved?”
Winfrey responded, “I’m saying problem not solved. I’m saying that, you know, that’s the beauty of a film like ‘The Butler,’ and it’s the beauty of a film like ’12 Years a Slave,’ and it’s the beauty of what we’re seeing on stage with Scottsboro Boys is that it allows people to see where the root of the problem started. It allows people to see, ‘Oh, that’s where it all started, this is how far we’ve come, and now this is how much farther we need to go.'”
She added, “Of course problem is not solved. You know, as long as people can be judged by the color of their skin, problem’s not solved. As long as there are people who still, there’s a whole generation – I say this, you know, I said this, you know, for apartheid South Africa, I said this for my own, you know, community in the south–there are still generations of people, older people, who were born and bred and marinated in it, in that prejudice and racism, and they just have to die.” (RELATED: WATCH: BLM Anti-Trump Protest In Seattle: ‘We Need To Start Killing People’)
Oprah has been in the headlines all day as many are speculating about her possibly running for president. The former talk show host made a speech at the Golden Globes Sunday that attracted national attention.
Winfrey said in part, “I want all the girls watching here, now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right here in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men, fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me too’ again.”