Everything we know about Recy Taylor, the sexual assault survivor who inspired Oprah's iconic Golden Globes speech

Advertisement
Everything we know about Recy Taylor, the sexual assault survivor who inspired Oprah's iconic Golden Globes speech

Oprah Winfrey Recy Taylor

Jordan Strauss and Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Images

In 1944, Taylor was abducted at gunpoint while walking home from church.

Advertisement

Oprah Winfrey's much-talked-about Golden Globes speech - which may or may not spark a 2020 bid for the White House - mentioned the story of Recy Taylor.

• Taylor was a young African American woman from Alabama who fought for justice after she was abducted, raped, and threatened by a group of white men in 1944.

• The rapists were never prosecuted, but her efforts helped to lay the groundwork for the monumental Montgomery bus boycott.



Oprah Winfrey's rousing speech didn't just prompt a standing ovation at the Golden Globes - it's got people talking about whether or not she'll make a run for the White House in 2020.

Advertisement

The media mogul focused on the importance of the #MeToo movement, heaped praise on the free press, and called on listeners to take steps to fight injustice.

She also took time to share the story of the late Recy Taylor.

Taylor was a young African American woman living in Alabama when she was abducted and raped by a group of white men in 1944. Her quest for justice proved to be a pivotal but often overlooked moment for the American civil rights movement.

"Recy Taylor died ten days ago, just shy of her 98th birthday," Winfrey said, during her speech. "She lived, as we all have lived, too many years in a culture broken by brutally powerful men. For too long, women have not been heard or believed if they dared speak their truth to the power of those men. But their time is up."

Here's a look at the story of the late Recy Taylor:

Advertisement