Oprah Winfrey

What do you think of when you think of a hero? According to the Oxford dictionary, a hero is a person who is admired for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Heroes are especially popular in Greek myths and legends. Most showed generous behavior, even if it was not obvious until the moral of the story was apparent. Oprah Winfrey is one of the most generous people of our time. I believe Oprah Winfrey is a hero because she uses her past experiences to inform, support, and help others, uses her money, fame, and time to help people, and shows incredible emotional and spiritual strength.

Oprah Winfrey’s passion and commitment on the issue of sexual abuse came from her own childhood experiences, but she did not allow her past to limit her vision for herself. She grew up in a small farming community (“Biography” 2). A nineteen year old male cousin raped her when she was nine. She was molested by a family friend and an uncle until she was fourteen. She became pregnant and gave birth to a baby that died soon after. She then went to live with her father. She blamed herself for these incidents and it took her many years to realize it was not her fault. She told her history of sexual abuse on air when one of her guests told their story. Later, eight hundred viewers called in with their stories and to receive referrals to counseling. Oprah had even decided to commit suicide in September 1981. Oprah had even written a note to her friend, Gayle King Bumpus. Winfrey later felt that she was not really serious about taking her life. Oprah said, "It's easy to have faith when everything is wonderful. Real faith is knowing that, no matter what, you're going to be all right" (Nicholson 98).

Oprah did have some positive inspirati...

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...ttention. She discusses child victimization and a variety of philosophies. She pledged to keep her show free of tabloid topics in 1994 (“Biography” 3). She talks about charities, such as The Angel Network, which encourages people to make a difference in the lives of others (“Charity Work” 2).

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.

Works Cited

Nicholson, Lois P. Oprah Winfrey. New York: Chelsea House, 1994. Print.

"Oprah Winfrey Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.

"Oprah Charity Work, Events and Causes." Look to the Stars. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.