The Renaissance Woman
When Oprah Winfrey told her 49 million viewers, "It just stopped me cold from eating another burger!" (Tannen) about the Mad cow disease, she wouldn't know it would cost the beef industry $12 million (Deborah Tannen). Texas cattlemen tried to sue Oprah for causing this such massive downfall, but she would win (Deborah Tannen). Oprah Winfrey was once a constantly abused thirteen year old girl. Now she is arguably the most famous African American woman and her talk show is highly regarded as the most talked about show in America. Her show has influenced many to change their lives and help others out. Abraham Lincoln once said, "I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards." (Inspirational Quotes: Achievements). This quote of perseverance could describe her life. Oprah Winfrey's abusive childhood has driven her to make something out of herself and others.
Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi living with a poor Baptist family (Wikipedia). Her parents, Vernon Winfrey and Vernita Lee were unmarried and still teenagers during the time she was born (Wikipedia). She lived with her grandmother where she would learn how to read aloud and recite sermons by the young age of 3 (America's Beloved Best Friend). At the age of 13 she would move to Milwaukee with her mother and that's when the trouble would start (America's Beloved Best Friend). She would face sexual abuse and molestation from her family relatives as a teenager, by her cousin, family friends, and her uncle (Victoria Walker). Oprah would keep this a secret and would bottle up her anger, which lead to trouble (Victoria Walker). She would repeatedly run away from home and was sent to juvenile detention, but her admission would be denied because the detention's overcrowded area (America's Beloved Best Friend). At the age of 14 she was impregnated by one of her abusers, but the baby would become stillborn, and this would devastate Oprah (Victoria Walker). Her mother would send her to live with her father as a last resort. She vowed to change her life (Victoria Walker).
At Nashville, Tennessee, his father was almost the complete opposite of her mother (America's Beloved Best Friend). He was a disciplinarian, he would give Oprah a midnight curfew, and she would need to reed a book each week and write a report about the book (America's Beloved Best Friend).
Despite being successful women, Oprah and Ellen were not always as well known as they are today. Oprah Winfrey grew up in Milwaukee, Mississippi, whereas Ellen DeGeneres was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. At a young age, Winfrey was sexually abused by various men. She eventually escaped the toxic environment she was exposed to when she went to live with her father. When Ellen was younger, her family moved around quite a bit and she learned to use comedy as a way to fit in with the new peers she encountered. When she was a teenager, her parents got a divorce; she used
She did not even let people get in the way of her dreams. She had trauma along her journey but she looked passed that. She got rejected multiple times simply because she was defined as an African American but, again, that did not stop her from following her passion. Winfrey even donates money to help those in need, and so with this, she chased her dream until she got what she wanted. Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to not just me, but to any girl who has been rejected and has gone through a non consensual sexual act - nothing stands her way as a woman. I would definitely say she is the most successful African American woman out
Winfrey’s early life was filled with arduous hurdles from the beginning, she was raised in a small podunk town in Mississippi that was anything but safe for a young girl, but on top of that she was raised by a single mother who was not around nearly enough. However the most formidable part of her upbringing was, she was sexually abused by ‘family friends’ and relatives on multiple occasions starting from the age of just nine. At twelve she was sent away to middle Tennessee to live with her father, there she realised her passion, she began giving speeches in front of her church and ultimately came to the conclusion that she wanted to speak for a living. Without her parents divorce Winfrey might have never figured out her passion of speaking to people until it was too late, this was a hidden advantage in the making of her success. However all too soon she had to leave the comfort of her father’s home where she could pursue her interest and journey back to her mother, where she was sadly yet again
The problems Oprah has encountered, as child was very traumatizing. She moved several times between family members, from a baby to a young child of six years old she lived with her grandparents, being that her parents were young and separated when she was born. During this time she feels that her grandmother installed in her a sense of reasoning and strength. She then moved in with her other in Milwaukee, WI that is when times became hard. Male relatives constantly molested Oprah. With this in mind Oprah became promiscuous and began to experiment with drugs. At the age 14 she gave birth to a premature baby that died. That is when Oprah decided to move with her father in Nashville. Her father insisted on hard work and discipline as means of self-improvement, which gave Oprah the ability to find stability and inspiration to excel in school and change her life. She complied; winning a college scholarship that allowed her to attend Tennessee State University.
i started out selectaction oprah as a joke but now that i have researched what she has done for charities and american society and in 2003 being the first african american billionaire and not only that she makes 12.2$ per second and she worked for all of this even at 14 she was raped and attempted suicide when she found out she was pregnant but when the baby died she took it as a second chance to be the greatest person she could ever be here is her story.
Oprah Winfrey is an inspiration to many all around the world. She did not have a very good home life up until the age of 14. She was abused as a child and did not see her mother very often because she was a housemaid who was gone almost every day all day. Vernon Winfrey, Oprah’s father, was a big service in her life when it came to keeping her in a nonviolent manner. Oprah also had her career going for her when she became Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. When Oprah became Miss Black Tennessee she was offered a radio broadcasting job and a full scholarship to Tennessee. Oprah had quite a few talk shows yet she made the most money off her own show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and now has her individual network called The Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah Winfrey’s influential style greatly impacted those who came after her in the entertainment industry.
Oprah’s rejection has brought about a new type of media communication, which has made her one of the foremost female talk show hosts. Her show focuses on real life confessions, human stories, and self-improvement that create awareness and changes in the life of other people. She is often praised for overcoming adversity to become a benefactor to people around the world.
“I honestly don't know. Someone has to show you the light in order to survive, the light of love, and I truly don't know who showed me mine. Except, perhaps God. I always felt He was there” (“Oprah Winfrey.” 536). Winfrey did not always have a good life, much of her adolescent years were spent struggling to keep her self confidence and make the right choices. Growing up on a farm in the middle of nowhere, Winfrey was forced to move up north with her mother to a different urban environment. There she encountered several hardships and was faced with an ultimatum that could change her life. Winfrey struggled with sexual abuse, poverty, racial problems, and numerous other issues. Winfrey took all these hardships and turned them into power, changing her life around and earning power and respect worldwide. As a result of Oprah Winfrey's rough past, amazing personality, determination, and generosity, she became an inspiration to many young women, and one of the most powerful people in the world.
( Nicole Aschoff, May 2015) In its early years the show followed a “ recovery model” In which guest and viewers were encouraged to overcome their problems through self- esteem building and learning to love themselves. ( Nicole Aschoff, May 2015) Oprah Winfrey was born in Mississippi to a single mother as a teenager and later raised in an Milwaukee neighborhood. She said she was even molested during her childhood and early teens and became pregnant only at age 14, her child died as a little infant.
Oprah Winfrey has changed the lives of so many people. She used her position as the most influential women in media to inspire, educate, and empower people of all walks of life all over the world. “Everyone of us gets through the tough times because somebody is there standing in the gap to close it for us.” (Winfrey) She did many amazing things throughout her entertainment and media career, including changing the lives of people forever.
Oprah was born on a farm in 1954 to a poor family. Winfrey enjoyed reciting African American poetry, and became known as the "little speaker" in her town. When she was 12, Winfrey won $500 for a speech she gave at her father 's church. From then on she wanted to "be paid to talk." When Winfrey was a teenager, her dream was put on hold. Some of the trusted men of her family began to sexually abuse her. She lashed out in anger at the world by lying to her mother, running away from home, and stealing. Unaware of what Winfrey was going through, her mother sent her away to live with her father. If her mother never sent her away, Oprah 's life would have been much different. At age 17, Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and was offered an on-air job at WVOL, a radio station for the African American community in Nashville. Oprah continued to work at WVOL in her first years of college, but her broadcasting career was already taking off. She left school and signed on with a local television station as a reporter and anchor. In 1976, she moved to Baltimore to join WJZ-TV News as a co-anchor. There, she co-hosted her first talk show, People Are Talking, while continuing to serve as anchor and news reporter. In January 1984, she was invited to Chicago to host a half-hour morning program on WLS-TV. In less than a year, she turned AM Chicago into the hottest show in
Oprah Winfrey is an African American woman who is known as a U.S. media celebrity. She has done so much to contribute to society as we know it and her legacy will forever live on. Mrs. Winfrey is well known and she uses her platform for positivity and love, which is a huge reason for her success. She is an intelligent leader who worked hard for the spot she has in life and strives to encourage others to be successful also. Mrs. Winfrey has written books, acted and produced films, hosted an infamous television show, and given to charities. Her hard work and dedication has made her one of the most influential women of all time. She strived for greatness and accomplished what she wanted out of life, despite various obstacles that had been in the
... Although Oprah has experienced excruciating periods of her life, she still has proved that anyone can make a difference, no matter what his/her background may be. Oprah is living proof that anything is possible, and dreams do come true. Oprah has proved to people everywhere that true joy in life comes from giving to those who are in need.
As African American females, our group chose Oprah Winfrey, as she is one of the most inspirational and influential African American woman, known throughout the world. Although people know her name and that she is one of the wealthiest women in America, very few know her story. In order to know Ms. Winfrey, one must conduct research on her very interesting biography. Success didn’t come to Oprah by chance. She had to work hard and push past many obstacles, and she had to do it all by herself. Oprah has many inspirational sayings, such as: “Victory, Belief, Wisdom, Life, Integrity, Choice and Celebration,”(Brain Quotes). “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength,” (Brain Quotes) as well as “Right now you are one choice away from a new beginning- one that leads you toward becoming the fullest human being you can be,” which we found to be the most meaningful and impactful to us as a group.
She was born to a teenage mother in rural Mississippi, and experienced abject poverty, a sharp contrast to her life today. Indeed, her background is a long sad story full of misfortunes and troubles, which would have made any child loose morals, turn out badly, and perhaps contemplate death. Indeed, her childhood was troubled because to start with, she was raped when she was nine and became a mother at fourteen. All this happened as she lived in inner-city neighborhood in Milwaukee with her mother who was single, unmarried, and working as a maid. She also spent some of her childhood with her father, who lived in Tennessee and was a barber, and thus certainly with nothing much to live by. However, most of Oprah’s early childhood was spent with her maternal grandmother whose name was Hattie Mae Lee, a person of considerable influence to her. Specifically, despite being reared in poverty, Winfrey learnt to read before she was three years old, courtesy of her grandmother. She was also active in her local church, thanks to her grandmother’s close supervision and strictness. Indeed, her reading skills were put into good use at the church where she became famous for reading and reciting verses from the