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.
On the farm Oprah lived on, her grandmother was her caretaker. Her grandmother hand-washed Oprah’s clothing, fed her, and cared for her (O’Connor, 2012). At the age of nine, Oprah was raped and at 14 she gave birth to her cousin’s child (O’Connor 2012). As she started her talk show, Oprah became famous and wanted to help people as much as she could. She then built a high school for girls named Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy (OWLAG) in South Africa (O’Connor 2012). Winfrey states, “[The school] started out as an emotional giveback It has developed into a way of life for me. What it really is, is an investment in leadership and an investment in the future of a country” (O’Connor 2012). The school has had its problems such as a sex abuse scandal, but Oprah shut out all outside access and fixed the problems that needed to be fixed. Many of the students at OWLAG have hard lives and many are missing parents, do not have running water or toilets, and if they do have a single parent, each student is worried what will happen to the parent once they leave for college (O’Connor 2012). Oprah is giving girls a chance at a new life and away from the dangers that South Afric...
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...rience and even though Oprah Winfrey has a difficult past, she never gave up on her dreams. So she is one of the most influential African American women in this country. I admire her dedication to her show and to what she believes in and what I take out of her life and worldview is that we should never give up or give in to what we believe.
Works Cited
Goudreau, J. (2012). Tough Year For Oprah Winfrey But She Still Ranks No. 2 On Forbes Celebrity 100 List. Forbes.Com, 88.
Lofton, K. (2006). Practicing Oprah; or, the Prescriptive Compulsion of a Spiritual Capitalism. Journal Of Popular Culture, 39(4), 599-621.
O'Connor, C. (2012). THE EDUCATION OF OPRAH WINFREY. Forbes, 190(6), 58-68.
PEGGY, F. S. (2002, Nov 02). SPIRIT GUIDE: Oprah turns rituals into a 'religion'. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/281248810?accountid=7374
In recent times Oprah has become shorthand for self-help: a spiritual guide, a confessor and a warm shoulder for her adoring American public. Throughout her revolutionary daytime talk show, Oprah’s pronouncements have become the Word to live by for a staggeringly diverse audience. In fact, one could argue she is a religious leader for an America increasingly skeptical about organized religion. According to Lofton, when Oprah ...
Oprah Winfrey is an American proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist, but most of all Oprah Winfrey is a powerful speaker. Oprah has been an inspiring part of many who need her words of wisdom to get through a tough day. What makes her so inspiring is the way she speaks. Oprah always speaks in such a way that she gets her audiences to feel and act upon her ideas without having to bring it out in black and white. As in her Golden Globes speech Oprah invites the audience to tell their own truths regardless of the risk it may hold without having to literally come straight out and say it. Oprah is a phenomenal speaker who uses personal anecdote, imagery, and historical allusions to argue about race and gender representation in Hollywood, the need for free press, and the importance of speaking out against harassment and assault.
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).
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
Lofton, Kathryn, and Brenda R. Weber. "The Legacies of Oprah Winfrey: Celebrity, Activism and Reform in the Twenty-first Century." Celebrity Studies 3.1 (2012): 104-105. Print.
So as you can see Oprah Winfrey deserves the status she has now. She has been through good and hard times and overcame it. She will continue to do well by herself and by her fans. She hat stated “When I look at the future, it’s so bright it burns my eyes.
Through the power of media, Oprah Winfrey has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world. As supervising producer and host of the top-rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has entertained, enlightened and uplifted millions of viewers for the past two decades. Her accomplishments as a television pioneer, producer, publisher, educator and philanthropist have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today.
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 Winfrey was extremely inspiring in our society and showed us to always make the best of life no matter the circumstances.
Having her type of childhood and surpassing all those difficult moments really shaped her. She does not repress those memories, she mentions it frequently, to reassure herself she overcame that period of her life. Being able to openly speak about it is very difficult for many victims, however Oprah shares her story to give hope to other people in the world. This incredible woman is compassionate and caring, helping numerous countries, especially children and more in-depth young girls. In Africa she established a general school for children and aided with everyday material. The help she did not always have as a child. She is truly a human that wants a better world for everyone, and showing it with her
Oprah Winfrey is very empathetic and genuinely cares for others. She freely gives her money to charities. She also uses her fame to publicize important issues and various charities. She does not let her past hold her back, but instead uses her experiences to help others. In my opinion, Oprah Winfrey is a true hero.
Firstly, Oprah had a passion for speaking in front of an audience. For instance, Advameg. Shares that when she was younger she would entertain herself by ‘’playacting’’ in front of an audience of farm animals. Thus, under the strict guidance of her grandmother she learned how to read at the age of two and a half years old. Secondly, her passion of speaking her opinions and views got herself into acting. For example, Advameg Inc. shares that the popularity of Winfrey’s show skyrocketed after the success of her first acting job in The Color Purple in September 1985 (Advameg Inc.). Therefore, she got more recognized on who she is and what her show stood for. Thirdly, Oprah formed her own production company, Harpo Inc. in August of 1986. For instance, Advameg Inc. tells us that she made Harpo Inc. because she wanted to see topics that she wanted to see produced. She made many television dramas. She moved on to writing her own novel and sold 68,000 copies. Hence, she became very successful because of her perseverance and passion. To sum it up, all of the obstacles in her life with the help of her father she came one of the wealthiest women in America and the highest paid entertainer in the
This case is about Oprah Winfrey, the woman of substance who is the ultimate rags to riches story of her era. It precisely started in December 2000 when Oprah promised Nelson Mandela to build a facility for the disadvantageous girls. The roots of the idea also trace back to a particular personal realization of Oprah herself, she was not very happy in giving away huge sums of money in charity. This pledge of hers to build a $40 Million school originally stemmed from this realization of getting actively involved in real charity. Oprah had been minting money as one of the most popular TV Hosts, and she envisioned a school for competent but economically
One of the most powerful women in the world is Oprah Gail Winfrey. Oprah is one of the richest businesswomen in the world, but she wasn’t always rich and successful. She had a very tough life growing up and didn’t have much money. She has always been a hard worker, and she had a passion for hosting and acting. Oprah is very good at what she does and that’s how she raised to the top of being one of the most influential women in the media.
Oprah Winfrey once said “with every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice”. Oprah had a difficult childhood life, however, she was able to learn from her experiences and allow them to, for the better, shape her as a person. She built a successful life for herself and used this to impact the lives of many people with charitable organizations, influencing legislation, encouraging discussions, and so much more. Oprah is an important and influential figure in history that had a positive impact on the world because she uses her success and power to improve the lives of other people and encourages people to speak up about hardships.