Oprah

//** The Impact of... Oprah Winfrey **//

//"Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure." -Oprah Winfrey//

[[image:oprah.jpg width="122" height="178" align="right"]]Overview
Oprah Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi, and now goes by the name of Oprah. As a teen, Oprah was sexually abused by male relatives, struggled with drugs and rebellious behavior, and lost a baby after giving birth to it prematurely. Oprah realized then that she didn’t like where she was heading and decided to take control of her life. She was awarded a University Scholarship at Tennessee State University and received a BA in Speech and Performing Arts- she graduated as an honors student.


At the young age of 19, Oprah went on to become the first African American woman television news anchor to work in Nashvilleon the WTVF-TV station. After moving to Chicago in 1984, Oprah began to host “//AM Chicago//”, an early morning talk show. The show became the number one ranked talk show shortly after she started and was renamed “The Oprah Winfrey Show” after one year. This show went on to become one of the most successful and highest ranked television talk show programs in history- it is viewed by more than 20 million Americans every week and broadcast internationally to more than one hundred countries worldwide. The show focuses on issues close to Oprah’s heart, such as obesity, abuse, and people with drug addictions.


In 1996, the Oprah Winfrey Show started the wildly influential “Oprah’s Book Club” which endorses what she considers to be books of value. Apart from being a successful talk show host she is also a producer, successful actress, founder of the successful "O, the Oprah Magazine", co founder of "Oxygen Media", and a generous philanthropist. Oprah is one of the wealthiest women in the United States of America and is regularly placed high up on the Forbes magazine Rich List each year. Her show has had a successful 17 seasons, and in 2 ½ years is supposed to be ending; but Oprah will continue to influence women and African Americans of our generation for years to come.

**References (2009-10.1.2.B) ** "Oprah Winfrey Biography." //Woopidoo Business Success - Motivational Business Quotes//. Web. 10 Jan. 2010. .  Home Back to Prominent Figures