Oprah Winfrey
The Philanthropist that is Still Giving Today
Background
Oprah was born on January 29th, 1954 to two teenagers, Vernon Winfrey, and Vernita Lee. She lived the first six years of her life on her Grandmother's farm, until 1968 when she tragically died. She then lived with her mother, step sister, and step brother for 8 years, but during that time, she was abused and raped by several family members. She even ran away from home several times, and nearly got put into juvenile detention. She also gave birth to a premature baby who died shortly after birth in 1968. After this, she went to live with her father, and stepmother in Milwaukee; her father was very successful, but also very strict. She later graduated from East Nashville Highschool. She was offered a scholarship to Tennessee State University in 1970, and she graduated with a degree in speech and performing arts.
Later On...
Oprah later on became a very successful person. She used to host and anchor on several different talk shows, and she performed in a few movies; she was even nominated for a few Oscars. Her ratings were so good, she eventually started her own talk show.
Important Events in her Life
She has done several important things in life. For instance, she initiated the National child protection Act, and testified before Congress. Oprah’s talk show has also been very successful in later years, and she even had many famous celebrities on her show, some of which were surprises. During the time that her show was on, she has also been nominated for many awards. She became very successful, and later on, she would take up philanthropy.
Today
Today, Oprah's show is still on, and she's still a big inspiration to many people. She also has her own book club, and her own magazine, called the "O" magazine. Even with all this, she felt that something was missing, so she went to the Nelson Mandela Foundation and she started one of the three Christmas Kindnesses. She thought that the children she helped were somewhat like her when she was nine: helpless and not knowing where to turn. She also helped out with many other foundations, and even started an education academy for girls in Africa, called Oprah’s leadership Academy. She wants all the girls that attend her academy to grow up to be successful, like she is today. The school is mostly comprised of orphan’s, and select children that she had seen before, such as children from A Christmas Kindness. Today, Oprah is ranked the 9th wealthiest woman in America (See the chart below).
Works Cited
"Oprah Winfrey Timeline." Oprah Winfrey Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
"Oprah Winfrey's Life and Success." Oprah Winfrey's Life and Success. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.
"Access Top 10: 'The Oprah Winfrey Show's' Best Celebrity Moments."Access Hollywood. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2015.