My Role Model: Oprah Gail Winfrey's Role Model

Ethical Role Model Essay

My role model is a woman who may need no introduction to many, particularly those who follow media personalities. Oprah Gail Winfrey is my hero and ultimate role model, who personifies how every human being should be like, irrespective of how challenging the prevailing circumstances may be. Indeed, she is perhaps the richest African American woman today, the only female billionaire, the greatest philanthropist who is black and the black billionaire in North America today. As such, she has scored many firsts in the society, which has earned her several accolades in recognition of her benevolence, spirit, and success. To me, she personifies the most ethical person I have ever known, and indeed, she has an amazing life

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

In addition, she used her talk show, the Oprah Winfrey Show, as a therapy session for people who have been living with secrets and unresolved issues in their lives. In fact, for this, she has been accused of trading with peoples’ emotion to make money, and creating a culture of confessions among Americans. However, Oprah has maintained that she is always driven by the need to equalize people irrespective of their backgrounds and taking a non-judgmental approach when dealing with peoples’ emotions. This perspective is rooted in her upbringing and childhood tribulations, for which she draws her strength and positive approach to life rather that breaking her resolve to leasing a successful