Oprah Winfrey's Impact On Society

Oprah Gail Winfrey is one of the world’s richest African-Americans. She is most famous for being the host of the Oprah Winfrey Show, an award-winning talk show where she discussed various topics including the importance of donating to charity. Winfrey won several Emmy Awards for her show, including seven for Outstanding Host, and nine for Outstanding Talk Show (“Oprah Winfrey’s Official Biography”). However, Oprah’s legacy did not stop here. She also contributed millions of her riches to charity. All of the above granted Oprah the immense amount of fame and popularity she gets today. Unbeknownst to many, Oprah’s life was not always this easy, in fact, she lived through an abusive childhood and worked for many racist and sexist people before

However, she was transferred to her father’s house in Tennessee six years later. Unfortunately for Winfrey, she was called back by her mother soon thereafter when she gained a stable job. Her mother’s preoccupation with her job and the severe poverty of the area helped turn Oprah into an irritable teenager. That, added to the fact that she was a victim of sexual abuse by male relatives and other men trusted by her family from age nine, lead to a pregnant Oprah being sent back to her father’s house at age fourteen. She later gave birth to a baby boy that died in his infancy.

Life with Her Father:

Oprah had said on many occasions that “her father saved her life” (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Since her father and his wife, Velma, did not have any children, she was their focus of attention and they set up strict guidelines and rules for her to follow (Garson XII). She was supposed to “write weekly book reports” and did not get to have dinner until she learned new vocabulary words (“Oprah Winfrey Biography”). Oprah joined numerous clubs during her high school years. In addition, she won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University and was also invited to a White House conference. These accomplishments were preparing Winfrey for her future