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... ... middle of paper ... ...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
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.
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.
The problems Oprah has encountered, as child was very traumatizing. She moved several times between family members, from a baby to a young child of six years old she lived with her grandparents, being that her parents were young and separated when she was born. During this time she feels that her grandmother installed in her a sense of reasoning and strength. She then moved in with her other in Milwaukee, WI that is when times became hard. Male relatives constantly molested Oprah. With this in mind Oprah became promiscuous and began to experiment with drugs. At the age 14 she gave birth to a premature baby that died. That is when Oprah decided to move with her father in Nashville. Her father insisted on hard work and discipline as means of self-improvement, which gave Oprah the ability to find stability and inspiration to excel in school and change her life. She complied; winning a college scholarship that allowed her to attend Tennessee State University.
The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 18 consecutive seasons*. Produced by her own production company, Harpo Productions, Inc., the show is seen by an estimated 30 million viewers a week in the United States** and is broadcast internationally in 111 countries.
Oprah Winfrey, a woman of triumph, came from an atrocious background. Presently recognized as one of the wealthiest women in the world, was not always the case for Winfrey. She grew up in a household
Oprah Winfrey was a troubled girl and had a tough childhood. Winfrey was born January 29th of 1954 in Kosciusko Mississippi. At the age of six she lived with her mother because her father was in the army and was stationed in Nashville.(Oprah Winfrey Tennessee) She was a undisciplined teen so she went to live with her father at 13. Her father and mother divorced and her father, Vermon re-married to Velma. Therefore, they were hoping that it would be a good influence if she was living under strict supervision. (Oprah Winfrey Britannica) During her childhood she spent most of her time reading and ended up creating a book club and
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.
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
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
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
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
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.
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.