By RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com, filed January 15, 2015
You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone with a deeper Rolodex than Oprah Winfrey.
A decade ago, she hosted a lavish Legends Ball weekend featuring her favorite African-American heroines, both young and old, a total of 67 women ranging from Martin Luther King Jr.'s widow Coretta Scott King and Maya Angelou to Halle Berry and Angela Bassett.
She recently decided to replicate that weekend but focus on living civil rights legends from entertainment (Sidney Poitier, Berry Gordy) to politics (Jesse Jackson, Marian Wright-Edelman, Myrlie Evers-Williams). One of the few stars they honored that couldn't make it was Harry Belafonte. Winfrey ultimately hosted two days of events in Santa Barbara, Calif. last month with the highlights airing Sunday on her OWN network at 9 p.m. over 90 minutes.
Atlanta, the cradle of the civil rights movement, was heavily represented, Winfrey's buddy and media mogul Tyler Perry, who produces several shows on her network, was there, of course. King's son Martin Luther King III and daughter Bernice King attended. Honorees from the area include former Atlanta Mayor and U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young, MLK's close friend C.T. Vivian, Georgia U.S. congressional representative John Lewis, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Juanita Jones Abernathy and former House rep. Julian Bond.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Sheri Salata, co-president of OWN Network, said Winfrey wanted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Selma march and her Oscar-nominated film on the subject "Selma," which she executive produced. "We went to town," she said. "I have to say this is one of the most satisfying months since I became one of the presidents of OWN."
Over the weekend, Winfrey hosted a screening of her film, which was shot largely in Atlanta. She also held a dinner and a gala lauding the honorees on Saturday. On Sunday, gospel singer BeBe Winans led a brunch with food cooked by Art Smith.
"Some of them had not been acknowledged in this way," said Andrea Wishom, EVP at Harpo Studios and executive producer on the special. "This is also perhaps the last time all of them will be together. It was really moving to see John Lewis in the lobby of the Bacara [Resort & Spa.] They got the royal treatment."
During the gala, the cast of "Selma" read a special poem written by Pearl Cleage thanking the legends. R&B group The O'Jays performed.
Other guests included Ellen DeGeneres, Deion Sanders, Alfre Woodard, George Lucas, Gayle King, Iyanla Vanzant, Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, Magic Johnson, Maria Shriver, Pylicia Rashad, Rashida Jones, Robin Roberts, Roland Martin, Samuel L. Jackson and Smokey Robinson.
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
Credit: Rodney Ho
TV preview
"Oprah Winfrey Presents: Legends That Paved the Way," 9 p.m. Sunday, January 18, OWN
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