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The great American Dream, sought out by millions around the world, is a constant goal for people that live in America. For every individual living in the U.S. the American Dream has a different meaning. For some it might mean having 2 cars, a house, a picture perfect wife or husband, equally beautiful children; preferably twins, a sustaining job and a four to five bedroom suburban home. To others, the American Dream is having a job that can simply support a family or achieving some fame. Many Americans however don’t achieve this dream; not because they don’t have the money or they are not “beautiful” but because they are not using their resources correctly. We see examples of such on reality TV shows where people dementedly attempt to have their fifteen minutes of fame. One of America’s wealthiest African-American women and she happens to be also the American Dream idol. She unlike many celebrities achieved, reached and expanded her goal beyond expectation. That woman is Oprah Winfrey. Her generosity and her loving character made her the strong yet devoted woman she is today. She is our modern Cinderella story. Oprah’s life began on January 29, 1954 to a single teen mom; Vernita Lee. Due to inability to raise a child at such a young age she decided to give her newborn to her grandmother. According to Oprah Winfrey’s relatives, her father was not very much involved in her early life. This absence of parental embrace and care caused her to live a life of drugs, abuse, pregnancy, rape and many other struggles. (“Winfrey, Oprah,” Achievement p.1) At the age of 13, reconciled with her mother and father, Oprah began crossing with the law, doing drugs and living her life on the “edge “. She was a rebellious teen and she vowed her...
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...onate to charities only to magnify their fame in the public eye however By doing so Oprah helped out students, mothers, children, and elderly people from all over the world and of all races and change their lives for the better. Helping people is what truly made her achieve what we call the American Dream. She inspired many people to become like her but she will always be the best at what she does and that is, being Oprah.
Works Cited
“Biography: Oprah Winfrey Entertainment Executive” Academy of Achievement March 10th 2009: pages 1-3
“Oprah Winfrey” Jet Magazine November 24, 1997, Volume 93, Issue 1: Page 58-61. NewsfileCollection. Newsbank. Springfield Local Schools, Springfield High School Media Center.
“Winfrey” People Magazine September 3, 2007, Page 31-35 Newsfile Collection. Newsbank. Springfield Local Schools, Springfield High School Media Center
The United States has always been viewed as a land of opportunity, where one could achieve anything they put their mind to, no matter who they are. Freedom and economic stability are the factors that make our country appealing. People are hopeful that the opportunities the country holds will help them achieve the American dream. This dream consists of achieving financial success, but time has proven that the American dream is a rare occurrence. Unfortunately, ambition, hard work, nor perseverance are enough to be successful in America. No individual is guaranteed success or destined for failure, but it is apparent that women, people of color, and those born into poverty will face greater obstacles than others,
To overcome the ordeal, Oprah explained that she had t believe in a power greater than herself. “She also said in the discussion with Letterman that she spent much of her life attempting to rebuild her self-esteem. In the end though, Oprah overcame poverty, parental neglect, sexual abuse, and racism to become one of the richest and most powerful women in the entertainment industry.
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).
The American Dream is so important to our country and especially for our generation to take seriously. The American Dream is the opportunity to reach the goals one sets for themselves. It is about having your dream job and life you have always fantasized about. The dream is also about having freedom and equality. The American Dream was much easier to attain a few decades ago compared to today. However, it is still possible. The economy was better fifty years ago than it is today. People are in greater debt now and the United States is in higher debt than it was fifty years ago. The American Dream is still possible despite the lack of improvement within social mobility in American society over the past years. The American dream is achievable by being able to live a middle-class lifestyle and that lifestyle is obtainable through hard work and perseverance, even in light of obstacles such as racism. “The American Dream is still achievable, however, the good news is that people at the bottom are just as likely to move up the income ladder today as they were 50 years ago” (O’Brien 1). The ability to attain the American Dream is hindered by race, the middle class, and giving up facing adversity.
Oprah Winfrey lived a very rough early life until Vernon Winfrey took her into good hands. She lived in Kosciusko, Missippi for the first 6 years of her life, and then she moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother who was a housemaid. When Oprah lived with her mother she was sexually molested during the daytime when her mother would work the long days. This abuse went on everyday possible for 4 years until she was out on her own at age 14. Oprah had given birth to a baby, which had unexpectedly died during infancy. After the baby had died she moved in with her Father who lived in Tennessee. “Vernon Winfrey was a strict parent, but he gave his daughter the secure home that Oprah needed. He saw to it that she met a curfew, and he required her to read a book and write a book report as well. “As strict s he was,” says Oprah, “ he had some concerns about me making the best of my ...
One of the reasons Oprah is a modern renaissance woman is for all the good deeds she does. She made her first debut as a news anchor which then turned into her own talk show. In her show The Oprah Winfrey Show she talked with celebrities, like Michael Jackson who had not been interviewed in 14 years. She also premiered in her first acting gig in the movie, The Color Purple. Her performance was so great that she got nominated for both a Golden Globe and
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah had a rough childhood (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). She constantly moved from her mother’s house to her father’s house (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). When Oprah lived with her mother she was raped (Lies, 2011). When Oprah lived with her father, she excelled (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah’s rough childhood and thriving high school and college years definitely influenced her contributions to the world later showing ethical leadership (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”).
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.
“Is the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show”, Said Peter Sean. Oprah went through plenty that lead up to her success. A couple of them would be She was abused/raped, She became pregnant at 14, and afterward she became the first woman to have her own talk show. Although Oprah Winfrey had a rough childhood, she was able to get through obstacles and become very successful.
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
Consideration, sympathy, then consolation are few words that strike a chord when one considers Oprah Winfrey. As a good example to all individuals of any race, sexual orientation, or gathering, she has caught the hearts of a great many viewers. With her quality, excellence, and insight, Oprah has defeat various troubles that have come in her direction. Not just is she a well-known TV symbol, she is a companion to mankind. Oprah winfrey says “I don’t believe in failure” (kniffel n.d.) she is a positive person and never let negativity comes her. She uses the media to educate young people about so many things in life.
The American dream is white picket fences, freshly cut bright green grass, the smell of homemade apple pie, fresh groceries from Whole Foods and a three story suburban house in a safe neighborhood. It is the worriless state of a financially secure career, marriage, and kids. The American dream as perpetuated in movies, television, shows and media is the story of rags to riches but not quite rich instead high middle-class. “...our media is national in nature and single-minded in purpose. This media plays a key role in defining our cultural tastes, helping us locate ourselves in history, establishing our national identity, and ascertaining the range of national and social possibilities” (610). The dream seems easily obtainable by a get rich easy planner business.
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
All her works and creations have had one mission: the desire to improve the world and empower people. This simply stated mission has been the key to Oprah’s influential impact on people she has never met and in return, millions of people have remained loyal to her.
For most people growing up is filled with memories of joy and happiness. A childhood should be filled with affection and care, but Oprah did not always feel those things. Oprah did not have such a great upbringing, but despite the odds she rose up and became who she had wanted to be. Oprah had dealt with many accounts of sexual abuse, the lack of attention from her mother, and moving from place-to-place for most of her early years (Fry, web). Not only was Oprah faced sexual abuse, but she also became pregnant from one of the instances (Fry, web). This made things even more difficult for the young Oprah.