Overcoming Obstacles: Oprah Winfrey
Sydney Cummings Wed. March 16, 2016
Birth
Friday, Jan 29, 1954, 12:00 AM
Kosciusko, MS, United States
Childhood
Oprah was born into a single mother family after her dad wasn't there for her birth. Her mother wasn't completely stable which forced Oprah to have to move back and forth, constantly rotating between her grandmother,mom, and dad. By the age of 14 she had moved about 8 different times. When in the care of her grandmother she was beaten for everything wrong-done. Oprah tells a story about the time she was whipped on her hands so badly her knuckles began to bleed and then was whipped again for getting blood on her grandmother's Sunday Dress. At the age of 6, she was sent to Milwaukee to live with her mother and was constantly neglected due to her mother's hardworking job. When she was 9, she was left in the care of her 19 year old cousin who would rape her and later that year her mother's boyfriend started raping her also. At just 13, she ran away from home and later got pregnant at 14 and lost the baby hours after the birth.
Her Turning Point/Rescue
A Few Things Oprah Knows For Sure
Accomplishments
- Oprah Winfrey is the richest Self-Made woman in America.
- Her net worth is $3.1 Billion and counting.
- She's also one of the most influential.
- She has received many awards such as the National Community Service Award and an Emmy for being the best talk show host.
- She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Color Purple.
- Oprah created and launched her own television network called Own. She also has a monthly subscription magazine called O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine
- Oprah was ranked in the "top 50 most generous Americans" after giving close to $400 Million to educational causes.
- She also received the Presidential Award Of Freedom in 2013.
What to Take From This
Works Cited
News. Stanford University, June 15,2008. Tue. 15 March 2016
Oprah Winfrey." 2016. The Famous People website. Mar 15 2016 //www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/oprah-winfrey-2484.php.
OWN. “Oprah on Believing in Yourself | Oprah's Lifeclass | Oprah Winfrey Network.” Online video clip. Youtube. Youtube, 13 Oct. 2011. Wed. 16 March 2016.
Street, Elizabeth. "Overcoming Obstacles: What Oprah Winfrey Learned From Her Childhood of Abuse - K12 - Learning Liftoff - Free Parenting, Education, and Homeschooling Resources." K12 Learning Liftoff Free Parenting Education and Homeschooling Resources. K12 Inc., 07 Jan. 2015. Web. 16 Mar. 2016.