In the bible verse Matthew 18:20 Jesus says, "Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." At Oprah's 2005 Legends Ball, she called together some of the most influential black folks to celebrate 25 iconic women, and the spirit of God was undoubtedly present. Footage of the event, which aired on ABC a year later, is proof of that.
As the attendees sat under the sun, dressed in grand church hats and brightly colored suits, acclaimed gospel singer BeBe Winans passed off the mic to the inimitable Shirley Caesar. Well, she stood up in that all-red suit and, as Oprah says, "Oh honey, it was over."
She was then followed by greats Dionne Warwick, Yolanda Adams, Chaka Khan, and Gladys Knight, all of whom improvised on the spot about the greatness of the higher power. Patti LaBelle jumped up from her seat and closed out the session, her hands shaking with a holy force.
Mariah Carey put her hand over her heart and Usher stood up with his hands clasped to show he was present and receiving the blessing. If you need a divine boost and/or a reminder of how wonderful black people are, run this anointed and unrehearsed video back. Thank you, Oprah.