Oprah Winfrey: Influential Women Of Color

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Oprah Winfrey Despite being born into poverty, Oprah Winfrey is now one of today's most notable women to ever appear on television. She has stood out as an impeccable woman and is highly influential in the media and black community. She has been noticed and has received award after award every year for her acting, TV show productions, talk show, and writing. She is a sincere woman who leads with confidence and empathy for her fans. Oprah Winfrey has had a lasting impact on the media industry and influences women of color all over the world. Oprah was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. Her mother, Vernity Lee, was 18 and her father, Vernon Winfrey, was 20 years old. Her mother moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to find work, so …show more content…

Her grandmother passed away when she was 6 years old, so she moved to Milwaukee with her mother and half-sister. Her mother worked hard to keep up and pay for her children, which took up most of her time and only spent her free time with her half-sister Patricia. After a year, Oprah's mother could no longer afford to take care of her, so she sent her to live with her stepmother and dad in Nashville, Tennessee. Her stepmother Zelma was infertile, so Oprah was very spoiled and loved very much. After third grade, her father sent her back to live with her mother, sister, and newly-born half-baby brother. After middle school, one of her teachers noticed her love for reading and got her into an all-white girl's high school in Wisconsin. Throughout her middle and high school years, Oprah was raped and sexually abused by her cousin, uncle, and family friend. Her mother had little to no empathy and this made Oprah rebel. She stole, dated boys, and skipped school. After she had run away, her mother decided to send her back to Nashville, where she discovered she was …show more content…

This led to beauty pageant opportunities and she was loved for her strong speech skills. She got her first half-time job reading the news. She kept this job after she graduated and won “Miss Black Tennessee” at 18. This gave her a full ride to Tennessee State University. In 1976 she co-hosted her first talk show called “People Are Talking.” She grew fast and also started to fall in love with public speaking and writing. In 1984 she was invited to host a morning show in Chicago. It went from a 30-minute show called AM Chicago to an hour-long show called “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. This was the show that made her stand out. She was an inspiration to many, especially women of color. Her show was broadcast nationally. Within a year, Oprah's talk show had won three Emmy awards. Oprah received an award for “Broadcaster of the Year.” She was on a high and there were no signs of her falling. She captured the attention of the novelist and played in the movie called “The Color Purple”. She was nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe award. This inspired her to start her own production company. For years she put in work for her acting and television career, becoming very

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