A black woman born in a lower middle class family in late 1950’s went on to become one of the most influential women of 20th century, fighting the discrimination of caste, creed, and color- Ladies and gentlemen, presenting Oprah Winfrey to you.
This week we will discus about Oprah’s extraordinary journey from depression, discrimination and poverty to one of the most respected and admired woman of this century
The Troubled Early Life
Oprah faced a tough childhood!
After her parents’ divorce she was sent away to her grandmother, who believed in her potential and became her support system. she used to recite bible verses at the age of 3 in a local church where she was given the title of a “preacher”.
At the age of 6, she was sent back to her mom, who couldn’t devote much attention on her, due to her busy working schedule as a maid at several places.
At the age of 9 she had to face something which is a nightmare for any human being. Her cousin, uncle and a family friend sexually abused and raped her. Unable to handle this trauma any further she ran away from her house and gave birth to a premature baby at the age of 14.This incident broke her mentally and she went in depression for months.
Soon after, she was sent to her dad in Tennessee who was a barber, who got her admitted to a decent school. This was a new beginning for her as she started taking her studies seriously and became an honors student. She got a scholarship to sponsor her university education at the Tennessee State University.
At the age of 19, she started working in a local radio station, and her life changed for the better since then.
What makes Oprah different
After gaining some experience from her previous job, in 1984 she joined as a host of ‘AM Chicago’ which later became the ‘Oprah Winfrey show’ which went on to become the highest-rated talk show ever.
“My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey
She is the first person to talk about all sorts of taboo-related topics publicly in a light and humorous way- something that was widely acclaimed by the masses.
Her show was a great platform for celebrities and politicians to speak about their personal lives and clearing up all the misconceptions of their fans.
Oprah had a very personal way of engaging with people on stage which truly appealed her audience. And this helped her gain over 30 million American viewers which lead her to be one of the multimillionaires of the 20th century.
A True Philanthropist
Besides being a TV host she is also a producer and founder of Oprah magazine. She started “Oprah angel network” in 1998 as a charity, which donated 10 million USD after Hurricane Katrina. As per “Business week” she is among the top 50 Philanthropists of the world.
She has donated over 303 million USD to help numerous families come out of poverty.
Over the last 2 decades she has partnered with a number of organizations as well as started her own organizations too t reach out to the ill fated and deprived sections of the society.
Around 72000 people have been educated by her foundations the Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation alone.
Awards and Achievements
- She was awarded the presidential award of freedom by Barack Obama.
- She was the receipt of the first Bob Humanitarian award in the 2002 Emmy awards.
- First Black woman to win the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award
And perhaps the most valuable award she got from life is the love she received from her fans which made her what she is today.
Takeaways From Her Life
1) Your past never decides your future.
2) Education is the key to progress. Continuously keep improving
3) No matter how hard life may seem right now, the sun will shine soon.
4) Anything is possible in life! Don’t lose hope for temporary setbacks