Today, women are entering the leadership sphere, which is mainly occupied by men. Many women leaders believe that people perform best when they feel good about themselves and their work. An effective leader creates results, reaches goals and deadlines, and quickly recognizes vision and objectives with high level of quality and productivity. To accomplish these, a leader should have special qualities like able to motivate others, specific and technical skill set, clear sense of purpose, mission, clear goals, focus and commitment. Over the years, women have proven themselves to be successful leaders as men. For instance, Oprah Winfrey, one of the most successful and famous African-American women in history to have made a huge impact and difference …show more content…
She was born in rural Mississippi to her single teenage mother, Vernita Lee. She was raised by her grandmother for the first few years, then lived and raised by her mother in Milwaukee from age three to fourteen. Oprah’s mother taught her how to read at a very young age, making Oprah the smartest and most intelligent, young African-American girl in the neighborhood she grew up in. Oprah started encountering challenges as she grew older and prettier before reaching the age of ten. Before the age of ten, Oprah suffered a substantial amount of abuse, hardship, and molestation from close family members and acquaintances of her mother. Then, at the age of thirteen, she escaped home and was went to a juvenile detention home, only to be rejected admittance since all the beds were …show more content…
Oprah was pregnant and give birth to a son who died as an infant. During this time, her mother became frustrated and sent her way to live with her father, Vernon Winfrey, in Nashville, Tennessee. Oprah’s father was had strict rules and high standards, and even her on a set curfew every day. Oprah had a midnight curfew and she was required to read a book and write a book report every week. Though her father strictness, he always wanted the best for Oprah. He taught her the values and morals of life. With her father’s help, Oprah managed to repair her disordered and wild life. Eventually, Oprah made it to the honor roll list in school, she was nominated “Most Popular Girl” she was a part of the East Nashville High School speech team, and was second in place worldwide for dramatic interpretation. To top it off, during Oprah’s last year of high school, she entered and won a speaking competition, giving her full scholarship to the State University of Tennessee, which is historically known as the largest and only state-funded, black institution in Tennessee. This is where Oprah studied and majored Speech Communication and Performing Arts (Wikipedia, 2017). While at the State University of Tennessee, it was one of Oprah’s professors who pushed her into accepting the job offer as a Co-Anchor for CBS television station. This job was what started Oprah’s career and her many successes in
Oprah Winfrey achieved great success in her various endeavors, growing from a news reporter in Nashville to the world-famous talk show host she is today. During the 1980s, talk shows were a crucial part of daytime television. Shows were organized based upon their content and varied greatly in subject. The popularity of talk shows led many people to enter this field, leading to a constant struggle for airtime. Oprah’s rise to fame began when she moved from her hometown in Nashville, to college in Baltimore and ultimately to Chicago, where she lives today. She appeared on an early morning television program called A.M. Chicago, which was later retitled The Oprah Winfrey Show which aired its first episode on September 8, 1986. Talk shows like Oprah’s were wildly popular, especially to women, because they focused on entertaining their viewers rather than discussing political problems. The thirty-minute to hour-long programs allowed for people to escape their problems, even if only for a short period of time (Rose). Biographer, Ilene Cooper took on the challenge of writing a biography about the complex and extraordinary life of Oprah Winfrey. In an article on the Kirkus Review website, published in 2010, a critic enjoys how the author of the biography, Up close: Oprah Winfrey, “makes excellent use of many quotes from interviews, Oprah’s own writing and, of course, her television show” (“Oprah Winfrey”). This reviewer appreciates how the biographer uses all of her resources to understand more information about Oprah. Some of Oprah’s greatest contributions to society are her generous donations to several organizations, and the way she encourages individuals to take actions that can not on...
After her birth, Winfrey’s mother traveled north while Winfrey spent six years living in poverty with her grandmother. They were so poor that Winfrey often wore dresses made out of potato sacks, and was repeatedly made fun of by the children. Hattie Mae Lee, was a humble grandmother, though, she had taught Winfrey how to read before the age of three! She often took her to the local church where she was soon nicknamed “The Preacher” for the ability to recite Bible verses. Of course with every guardian, there were rules, and Lee’s rules were that if Winfrey did not do her chores or misbehaved in any way shape or form, Lee would hit her with a stick.
Oprah’s father made sure she was well educated by having her write book reports, learning vocabulary, and had strict rules for her as she grew up. She entered into the Elks Club speaking contest and won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. The following year Oprah Winfrey was invited to the White House Conference on Youth. Oprah was becoming known for her speaking skills. She was offered a broadcasting job that she turned down twice. However, she eventually accepted it and became the first African American female co anchor of the evening news as a sophomore in college at just nineteen years
She set up campaigns and looked to teach kids to be who they wanted to be. She also protested and spoke publicly to others about segregation. A Biography.com editor stated, ““She founded the Family for Better Lives foundation and also contributes to her alma mater, Tennessee State University. In September 2002, Oprah was named the first recipient of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences' Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.” She wanted kids and adults to become who they wanted to be without the hate and discrimination from others. She knew from experience as a child that what she wanted to be was not possible according to people she was around. She had to overcome hate and fear of failing as well as her family not supporting her in the beginning. She also faced a death of her infant child. The same article as earlier states, “she has a half-sister named Patricia. Oprah's mother gave birth to a baby girl in 1963. At the time, Oprah was 9 years old, and living with her father. Lee put the child up for adoption because she believed that she wouldn't be able to get off public assistance if she had another child to care for. Patricia lived in a series of foster homes until she was 7 years old.” She even had family members that she had never met until later in her life that she once said that she knew that they would’ve been the ones to support her. Although, she
Oprah Winfrey grew up in abuse and poverty, but that did not stop her in being the women she is today. Oprah is one of the richest women on Earth, but not without her struggles. On top of that, Oprah is a capitalist pragmatist (Lofton, 2006). Oprah believes in a spiritual path, but one that does not concern religion (Lofton, 2006). Her religion is more about perfecting herself and trying to be the perfect human being (Lofton, 2006). Her family and past, her career, the nature of how she sees God, and the influence she has on people all influence Oprah and her worldview.
Oprah Winfrey, a woman of triumph, came from an atrocious background. Presently recognized as one of the wealthiest women in the world, was not always the case for Winfrey. She grew up in a household
Oprah Winfrey is as American entrepreneur and a popular talk show host. She was born on January 29 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi. She was the result of a broken teenage relationship and teenage pregnancy so as you can imagine it had quite an impact on her development as she grew up. Against all odds she became a very successful woman and is currently worth 2.8 billion USD.
Oprah Winfrey was raise in a very bad economically town in the city of Milwaukee, Mississippi. Shortly, after being born her mother abandoned her, so she was raised by her grandmother. Her grandmother was very religious, therefore; Oprah had religion incorporated in her life because of it. In addition, on account of her grandma Oprah
However, she was born into poverty in a small town called Kosciusko, Mississippi. Oprah grew up with her single mother and her grandmother. She had a very tough childhood growing up. Oprah moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1776. She hosted the TV chat show “People are talking,” for eight years. The show was a hit which she loved and so did millions of people. Her success in her show grew her fame and a role in the movie “The color purple.” She was nominated for an academy award for Best Supporting Actress. Throughout her career she improved her show and then launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a “nationally syndicated program” (bio.com/1). Oprah grew up in rags and has become one of the most successful women today. This has also brought me to read how Richard Wright was successful with his book “Black
She was in a beauty pageant there was three girls left she was the last one to be asked a question. The question was if you won one million dollars what would you do with the one million dollars. The first one said ¨it would help the poor¨ the second one said ¨i would help my family¨ and Oprah said ¨i would be a spending fool¨ after that they announce the winner it was Oprah Winfrey won because she was honest to the judges (kramer 15). A while later she became a talk show host for the news on A.M. Chicago. She made her own show called ¨The Oprah Winfrey Show¨( mar 17). Soon she made her own business called ¨ HARPO¨. Harpo is Oprah spelt backwards. HARPO oprah makes her own television shows and movies ( mara 22). Still she, started her own magazine called O, The Oprah Magazine. Oprah has been successful as a tv host, actor, and magazine
On September 17 Oprah stood up and announced she wanted “to get the country reading”. Oprah won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. The popularity of Winfrey’s show skyrocketed after the success of “The color
As noted previously, Oprah Winfrey was born into poverty, was being moved from her grandmother to her mother, and was next moved to her father. Then too, Oprah was then called back by her mother and lived in a dangerous neighborhood, which had its negative effects on Winfrey, was being sexually abused by many of the family members at the age of nine, and was finally sent back to her father, which gave her to discipline and guidance to success. Lastly, Oprah was given many jobs in being on radio stations and being the first Native-American co-anchor, she soon moved on to the Oprah Winfrey show and won many awards, and later founded Harpo, Inc., and made generous contributions to many
Oprah was born to an unmarried teenage mother. Oprah spent her first six years living with her grandmother, who taught her how to read and write. Oprah credit’s her career choice to her grandmother’s influence and encouragement to speak in public. As for Ellen who was born and raised in Louisiana, by both her parents. By the age of thirteen Ellen’s parents divorced; shortly after her mother remarried and they moved to Texas. Oprah has received two honorary doctorate degrees from both Duke and Harvard. Oprah started working in local media, she was both the youngest and the first black female news anchor at Nashville’s WLAC-TV. Ellen, however, attended the University of New Orleans where she majored in communication studies but left
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, who is born in January 29, 1954, is an American Tv broadcaster, with African origins. She lived with her mother and endured physical and mental abuse; she fled at 13, just to be dismissed from an adolescent imprisonment and sent to live with her cruel dad in Nashville (Kirkwood, 2013). This heroin lived her life and still experienced it with wide achievements and significant impacts on the global level. She brought great changes to various countries in the world. Oprah influenced many people who watched her shows by the great deeds she did and by listening to them and helping them. Accordingly, I have chosen her because she inspired me to follow her ideas and beliefs to reach the high standards she acquires today as a humanitarian individual.