A major media event airs next week as "Oprah's Spectacular Surprise" honors Oprah Winfrey's closing of her 25 year show to open her own network. As part of the May 24 broadcast, Dr. Nicolai Hinds appears as one of the inaugural Morehouse Men Scholarship recipients funded by Winfrey.
My name is Nicolai Hinds. I have been a disciple for 21 years now. I was converted in Providence, Rhode Island, but spent most of my years in the Atlanta Church of Christ. My wife Linda and I currently worship in the Dekalb Ministry Center of the Chicago Church of Christ.
While in Atlanta I attended Morehouse College. In 1990, I was chosen to receive a new scholarship that had been created by Oprah Winfrey at the College. Oprah actually created the scholarship fund by writing a check for 1 million dollars a few years earlier during a Morehouse graduation ceremony she was attending! Oprah actually traveled to Atlanta after the first scholarships had been awarded and met with us. The 7 Inaugural Oprah Winfrey Scholars had dinner with Oprah, Steadman, and a handful of officials from the college. I was very grateful to God for the much needed financial assistance, the recognition, and the inspiration provided by this scholarship. After that night of dinner with Oprah, I carefully put away the photos and memorabilia from what I thought would be a once in a lifetime experience
God obviously had other plans. I was invited to participate in "Oprah's Surprise Spectacular" at the United Center in Chicago on May 17th, 2011. Along with many other Morehouse Men, we paid special tribute to Oprah and expressed our gratitude for the help she gave us in completing our education. It was an amazing feeling: to be able to say thanks, to say look how God has multiplied the gift you gave me so many years ago, AND to be able to do all this in front of 26,000 people! As I went through the whole experience of the rehearsals, the show, and bumping into superstars backstage, I had to almost pinch myself. After I had seen Tom Hanks, Queen Latifah, Simon Cowell, and Michael Jordan walk right by me backstage, the significance of the moment finally began to dawn on me.
I am grateful to have been involved in this tribute to a woman who has given so much to so many. Oprah has spoken many times about feeling blessed by God to be in the position she is in with her success, and it is clear she also feels the burden to pass that blessing on to others. She truly inspires me.
Nicolai E. Hinds, MD., FACOG
Board Certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology
Clinical Assistant Professor
University of Illinois (UIC - Rockford)
College of Medicine
The taping on 5/17/11 at the United Center was a 2 hour long event and actually will encompass two shows. Dr. Hinds will appear in the second show, to air on Tuesday 5/24/11 at 4 pm Central Daylight Time.
Dr. Hinds will be one of the 20 men standing in the front row among the Morehouse Men on stage. Also he will be featured briefly in a video presentation in a 1990 photo in which he is standing next to Oprah and Imar Hutchens, a fellow Winfrey scholar.