Seasoned actress, talk show host and EGOT winner status aside, Whoopi Goldberg is a 65-year-old Black woman. So when gleaning her opinion, particularly where any matter of foresight concerned, there's a strong likelihood she knows what she's talking about.
Goldberg sat down with Blavity on Wednesday to discuss social media culture, overcoming a decades-long struggle with crippling migraines and the young women she believes are headed to the herstory books: beloved Inauguration Day poet Amanda Gorman and viral UCLA gymnast Nia Dennis. The former's already made history as the youngest inauguration poet, but it's evident she's just getting started.
"I can't wait to watch their lives," Goldberg glowingly said of the women. "They're marvelous young women to me. And when I think of young women, those are young women who are doing things that didn't require somebody giving them permission."
Gorman, who turned 23 on Sunday, received massive acclaim following her performance of her poem "The Hill We Climb" during President Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony.
"I think anybody that takes the initiative to live, to investigate to see if they can live the way that they want to," The View co-host added.
Dennis, 22, has gone viral twice for her mesmerizing floor performances to iconic hip-hop and R&B songs. Goldberg said she discovered the young gymnast on Instagram — a platform which, though having its vices and virtues, she's nonetheless active on because she has to "keep up" with the times.
"I do it because I have to. I mean if I didn't have to do it, I wouldn't. But as the world changes and shifts, you know you have to sort of keep up," she continued. "And there are so many things I've found on Instagram and Twitter and just great conversations. And then there's all the stuff I don't like, I mean I don't understand piling on to people because you don't like what they said."
Goldberg's opinion, though, is one of four that are sought after by the millions who tune into The View each day. While we've heard her and co-hosts Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin and Meghan McCain, debate countless contentious matters, one thing she doesn't discuss is her nearly 40-year struggle with migraines.
The illness was so debilitating, she'd find herself sometimes having to lie under a table to cope with the pain. She's among 39 million people worldwide to suffer from the illness that's been classified as one of the 10 most disabling medical ailments. Fortunately, she's out of the woods now thanks to Nurtec ODT. But she still wants people to know the seriousness of the ailment which is why she's partnering with the prescription medicine for an awareness campaign.
Naturally, Goldberg also has an entertainment project coming down the pipeline. She's slated to star in the upcoming Amazon comedy series Harlem. In the meantime, if you're in New York City, you might hear her as one of the latest celebrity voices of the MTA transit. If not, you can catch her on weekdays on The View.
