Premium Essay

Oprah Winfery

In:

Submitted By Haneen90
Words 277
Pages 2
Oprah's Beginnings
American television host, actress, producer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. After a troubled adolescence in a small farming community, where she was sexually abused by a number of male relatives and friends of her mother, Vernita, she moved to Nashville to live with her father, Vernon, a barber and businessman. She entered Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television broadcasting in Nashville.

In 1976, Oprah Winfrey moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where she hosted the TV chat show People Are Talking. The show became a hit and Winfrey stayed with it for eight years, after which she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show, A.M. Chicago. Her major competitor in the time slot was Phil Donahue. Within several months, Winfrey's open, warm-hearted personal style had won her 100,000 more viewers than Donahue and had taken her show from last place to first in the ratings. Her success led to nationwide fame and a role in Steven Spielberg's 1985 film The Color Purple, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Winfrey launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986 as a nationally syndicated program. With its placement on 120 channels and an audience of 10 million people, the show grossed $125 million by the end of its first year, of which Winfrey received $30 million. She soon gained ownership of the program from ABC, drawing it under the control of her new production company, Harpo Productions ('Oprah' spelled backwards) and making more and more money from

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

My Reasearch Paper

...Abstract Do you know who Oprah Winfery is? Well she is famous for many reasons. She is an actress, entrepreneur philanthropist television personality and the most influential and richest woman in the united states. Oprah winfery story is one of triumph over many hardships. Her education and strength of purpose had allowed her to achieve more than what most Americans would, coming from her background. This paper will explore Oprah Winfery compelling life story. Oprah Gail winfery was born in Kosciusko Mississippi. Her parents Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey soon separated after she was born and left her in the care of her maternal grandmother on the farm until the age of six. Much latter in her life she was hired to work in WVOL radio, in Nashville, and therefore began her broadcasting career at the age of seventeen. Oprah Gail winfery father had instilled the importance of education in her. Because of that she enrolled at Tennessee state university. There she majored in speech communication and performing arts. Those years were the background for her staggering success! Oprah winfery life has been full of purpose since her late teens. She moved from radio host , to news anchor, to talk show host movie actress and entrepreneur and philanthropist. Oprah has earned herself a faithful...

Words: 300 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Bus508

...In the world there are a lot of people with all different types of characteristics. Some of those people open their own businesses, provide services and make money in doing so. Entrepreneurs of all different business industries carry a lot of the same types of characteristics. In fact, it is probably why they become successful in the first place, but people are motivated by different things which are what drives them in the first place. Some people are motivated by pure profits. Donald Trump is an example of this type of entrepreneur. He entered a business that he was very comfortable with in order to tap the market and make money. The other type of entrepreneur is one that makes money while serving their community. Oprah Winfrey is a perfect example of this type of entrepreneur. Her goal is to be socially responsible and puts her community service in front of money making. Although both of these people are rich and share similar characteristics, their business principals and leadership strategies are very different. Donald Trump was born into the real estate business. His father raised him in the lifestyle and prepared Trump with the tools he would need in order to be successful. When it comes to business Trump has a pretty straight forward out look on things. If it made him money he would dive in full force and once he took on a project there really was no stopping him until her reached his goals. Trump’s style was based off of his own intuition and charisma. “He has mastered...

Words: 1578 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Myths and Heroes

...The notion I'm going to deal with is the idea of myths and heroes. First of all, I'd like to give a short definition, so according to me a myth or a hero is a person who inpires others with his positive thoughts, values or goals. We get totaly influenced and attracted by their good qualities which motivate us to do something good to the society. We can learn good qualities like patriotism, bravery, courage, non violence, compassion, humility, kindness. I would like to illustrate this notion through the theme of Influence and Role Models. We may wonder how can the actions of icons of the past have consequences on people nowadays? In order to illustrate the fact that what they do influence us, our lives, our beliefs, our values My presentation will fall into 3 parts: First of all, I'll concentrate on how role models inspire us by their actions that move us to do the same, then I'll analyse how they encourage us to be the best that we can be before finally focusing on the fact that they are selfless and teach us how to be. Nowadays, a lot of successful people were seen as other’s model. Most of us looked up to someone. It is wildly acknowledged that, role models can influence our lives. They can play an important role in shaping our society. They are figures who seem to embody everything that we think is good, all of the ideal traits that we would like to be able to possess for ourselves, and the kind of life that we would one day want to live. For instance they can provide...

Words: 1709 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Still I Arise

...“Still I Rise” An Inspiring Poem by Maya Angelou “Still I Rise”, a poem written by Maya Angleou in 1978, is a poem that demonstrates an inner strength of determination in accomplishing and overcoming obstacles in life. “Still I Rise”, and other poems created by Maya Angelou, may offer inspiring words of encouragement for many individuals who may be dealing with certain difficult situations in their life. Maya Angelou was born in 1928 in St. Louis Missouri. At a very young age she experienced a very traumatic experience that inspired her to become the person that she is today. During the time that her parents decided to end their marriage, she went to reside with her mother. While residing with her mother, she was sexually assaulted and raped by her mother’s boyfriend. Maya Angelou was scared, hurt, and humiliated. Not knowing where else to turn, she informed her brother of the incident. Upon hearing this, he decided it was best to inform their family. Her mother’s boyfriend was sent to jail; however, he was killed shortly after his release. When Maya Angelou found out about the death of her mother’s boyfriend, she became withdrawn and stopped speaking or talking for several years. She began to blame herself for what had happened to her mother’s boyfriend, because she felt that due to her telling what happened resulted in his death. As time passed, Maya Angelou went to reside with her grandmother. She was embraced by a close family friend who encouraged her to talk...

Words: 1253 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

A Genuine Dream: Drive and Commitment

...A Genuine Dream: Drive and Commitment According to Oprah Winfrey, She believes that “each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a finger-print and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you.” In other words, every person has their own individual unique traits that make them who they are and that anyone can accomplish great things. All these words kept going through my head as I thought about school and my future. The more I thought about Winfrey’s words, the more I wanted to find out. I never thought that to accomplish things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe if you want something bad enough, listen to your heart and gut feeling, tune others negative thoughts, and you can do anything you set your mind to. Step one is listening to your heart and fulfilling your wants and needs so you can reach anything you set your mind to, such as a dream. Dream is normally defined as a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person’s mind. In my own words dream means sticking to your morals, and sticking to the point by telling yourself that you can do anything you want, you just have to believe in yourself and follow your heart. My dream since I was a little girl has been to become a pediatrician, so I can take care of new born babies, toddlers and teenagers. On the other hand Strickland...

Words: 1627 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Harpo Case Study

...Question 1 There are potential dangers of having one super-powerful leader of an organization. Whenever you have one powerful leader leading an organization, in most cases, the powerful leader could end up misusing the power. There are many examples of super-powerful leaders misusing their powers and one of them is Martha Stewart who went to prison for being an inside trader and then lying to officials about it. (Whyld.com, para 1).Another example is Bernie Madoff, who got people to invest money but never actually invested their money(www.Lockdoc1.wordpress.com, para 1). Both of these scenarios took place because they were given the authority to be super-powerful leaders of the organizations that they belonged to. If these two people were not given the super-powers and shown as super-powerful leaders of the organizations then, instead of just having a super powerful leader for an organization, an organization would have power divided into a team so no one can become a super-powerful leader and misuse the powers. It would also be beneficial for the organization to save their reputation from being ruined. Also, if an organization decides not to divide the super-powers of a leader then they can also come up with board members to approve the decisions of the super-powerful leader of the organization. This way, the leader cannot act on his own but rather has to get the approval of board members to step forward and take action. Question 2 Since Winfrey was the...

Words: 589 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Harpo Case Study

...also to work collaboratively and laterally with their peers, the other managers. This will build a solid management structure that will thrive in troubled times and allow for strong problem solving. How might Winfrey go about ensuring that Harpo survives after her departure or in the event of a loss of faith on the part of the public? Is it possible to have a true leadership succession plan in these circumstances (Colquitt, J. A., Lepine, J. A., & Wesson, M. J., pg.474)? As with any proven succession plan, a strong company vision must be present to make the plan effective. Along with a strong company vision, the management team must be comprised of committed individuals with the skills to foster the corporate culture that Oprah has established. Oprah must look for people to be part of her management team who are self-motivated, ambitious and who will never be satisfied of merely being “part of the...

Words: 507 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Captain Torres

...Oprah Winfrey once said: If it doesn't feel right, don't do it. That's the lesson. That lesson alone will save you a lot of grief. As evil as one may seem, everyone has some goodness deep within their heart. I believe the barber made the correct decision by choosing to not murder Captain Torres. Throughout the story Torres was portrayed as an evil cold blooded man, if the barber was to take Torres’s life it would make many happy. But if the barber had killed Torres, would he be any different? Murdering the monster that is Torres would make the barber no less than a monster himself. The barber prides himself for being a stupendous barber and the sing most important rule of the “barber’s code” is to never let a single drop of blood out of the costumer. The barber’s major dilemma was whether killing Torres would make him a coward or a hero? The definition of a hero is someone who portrays courageous and noble qualities. Killing someone while they are completely powerless is extremely cowardly and I believe the act of killing can never ever be justified as Nobel. The barber wanted to take revenge on all the live Torres had taken but revenge is never the answer. As a barber you would strive to never see a drop of blood on the job & taking a life while doing your job, would defy that. Killing is a never ending cycle, you kill someone you thing deserves to be killed and then you get killed for killing someone, this goes on and on. To Torres killing was a job he was trained...

Words: 404 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Myths and Heroes

...one cannot deny that society is based on founding myths, a collective identity forged around common landmarks and shared values. As elsewhere, but even more so the myths of “The American Dream” in the United States is a great example. Indeed it promotes the idea that not only is personal fulfillment due to honesty and hard-working but it is based also on God’s will. As a captain of industry and a generous philanthropist , Rockefeller is a case in point. He was a role model who likely fostered the American spirit of competitiveness, innovation and entrepreneurship. In the same token, we studied the rags-to-riches life of Oprah Winfrey in an article taken from the website onlineessays.com. Oprah Winfrey overcame the obstacles of being an African American girl in the South in the 50s and 60s to achieve her goal. She started her own show which soon became the Oprah Winfrey talk-show. Her outlet was a tool to broadcast her principles which influenced America. As well as funding her magazine, her website and her own...

Words: 642 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

T Dexter and Oprah - Tegether Again

...speaking (I know this is true because I saw him speaking in tongues when Tyler Perry laid hand on him and gave him a bunch of money for one of his projects) soldier for Jesus Christ. He is willing to die for Christ, to renounce everything rather than…well, you get the idea. On the other hand, Oprah Winfrey is a woman who denies the deity of Jesus Christ (Link here http://youtu.be/noO_dCWtB1E?t=1m ), promotes what can best be call New Age doctrine and philosophy, thinks it’s awful that God is a jealous God, and is producing a reality show featuring Michael Sam and Vito Cammissano. What? You say you don’t know who Vito is? Vito is the boyfriend of Michael Sam. He’s the one we got to watch smooching with Michael when Michael found out he had been drafted by the NFL. One ostensibly holds to a Christian worldview, saturated with Christian values, standards, and practices. The other holds to a world view that at best minimizes God and in many respects make man god. Did any of you see Oprah’s netcasts with Mr. Tolle? He is a New Age prophet if ever there was one. And Oprah was fawning all over him. Despite this slight divergence in philosophical outlooks, T. Dexter is working with Oprah to help present life “lessons”. Amos asks the question: Do two men walk together unless they have an appointment (or agreement)? Way later, in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Paul admonishes the Corinthians to avoid being too closely connected with the unsaved. And why do you suppose God doesn’t...

Words: 339 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

One Hard Life Is Not Always Easy In Spoon River Anthology

...Brieanna Fredricks One Hard Life (A Discussion of the theme Life is Not Always Easy in Spoon River Anthology) Nothing about life is easy; you work, you try, and sometimes you fail regardless of your efforts.Some people believe in reincarnation, others in some form of an afterlife, and some believe you only have one life. Believing that you’re only able to live one life could benefit the person because they take that idea and they accept it. In that acceptance they choose to live everyday as if it were there last, so that by their last breath they can say they had a good life, even with the struggles and heartache. Most people live with the belief that we only have one life; although life is a gift with endless possibilities, it's not always easy. Nellie Clark is a prime example of the theme, “life is not always easy”. Nellie was raped at only eight years old, this went on to define the rest of her life. Nellie grew up, she had her life ahead of her, she even got married; but when her husband found out she was raped he was disgusted with her. “Well, he deserted me and I died the following winter,” says Nellie Clark epilogue. Her husband claimed that the she was a liar; because she was raped, she wasn’t actually a virgin. Nellie Clarks entire life was shaped by an incident uncontrollable to her when she was only eight years old. Her life, as unfair and difficult as it was, was the only one she had. Another example of someone with a hard life comes from the poem “Francis turner”...

Words: 529 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Maya Angelou Research Paper

...Maya Angelou, along with writing poetry, was a civil right activist and produced most of her poems from the late 1960’s until the early 2000’s. Because of her involvement in the Civil Rights movement and the time period in which she lived, almost all of her poems are about common instances of that time. The message of most of these poems relate to social issues that developed during the middle to late 1900’s, whether they pertain to race, gender, or other matters. These poems are a way of informing people of those issues and hopefully able to cause a change. Some of Maya Angelou’s works address more than one problem and have many different interpretations while others have a more straightforward way of revealing their meaning to the reader. She writes from a certain perspective so that most people can understand the poem’s message and central idea. Along with many poets in the middle to late 1900’s, Maya Angelou took part in the feminist movement, supporting black women, and made it the main conflict in many of her poems. Like other issues developing in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, Maya Angelou’s poems aimed to catch people’s attention and raise awareness. Her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, is centered around the struggle that black women faced. “In her book, Angelou provides instances of racial and sexual inequity related to physicality” (Hembrough 174). Maya Angelou explains the struggle of black women through retelling the events of her life and including situations...

Words: 525 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Connie Chung Accomplishments

...At the age of 68, Connie Chung was a trail blazer for women and Asian – Americans in the television journalism industry for over three decades. She has worked for four of the major news networks, received numerous awards for both her reporting and her contributions to society, and has interviewed everyone from the president of the United States to actor Marlon Brando. It is because of these accomplishments that I am nominating her to receive this award. Connie was the only child out of her parent’s five daughters to be born in the United States. Her family had just moved to Washington D.C. for her father’s job, when Connie was born on August 20, 1946. Being one out of five girls, Connie says “I could never get a word in so, I was the quite little sister.” Coming from the Chinese culture, she wanted to compensate for her father not having a boy. She said “I always wanted to be the son that my father never had, so I was going to make Chung memorable.” Keeping to her promise, Connie went off to college at the University of Maryland where she received her degree in journalism in 1969. She immediately started looking for a job, and was lucky enough to come across a job opening at the local television station, WTTG- TV in Washington D.C. The job was a secretarial position, which Connie was less than thrilled about, but little did she know that this job would be her foot in the door. Within several months after accepting the secretarial position, a writer’s position opened up which...

Words: 501 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Annie Turnbo Malone: An Influential Role Model

...You’ve heard of Madam C.J Walker right? How about Oprah Winfrey? Who hasn’t? How many have heard of Annie Turnbo Malone? No one correct? Well, Annie Turnbo Malone was before Oprah Winfrey and Madam C.J Walker. Malone is recorded as the U.S.’s first black female millionaire. While Annie was coming of age, the popular style among Black women was having straight hair. She decided to make a chemical product to straighten African Americans hair. Annie was the first to do this. Annie was an role model to many women, but was an great inspiring role model to Madam C.J Walker. Annie was born August 19th, 1869 in Metropolis, Illinois to former slaves. Her parents were Robert Turnbo, a poor farmer, and Isabella Cook Turnbo who had 11 children. Annie was the 10th child of the 11. Because her parents died while she was young, Annie was raised by her older sister. She was a sick child...

Words: 1015 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

History

...related to social, political, and economic conditions facing the blacks in America. Therefore, this research paper will examine the life history of two famous African American artists in history. The analysis will consider their early lives, education backgrounds and their contributions that led to their social recognition. The research will end with the comparison of the two personalities and come up with a conclusion. The two personalities examined in the research paper are Henry Ossawa Tanner, and Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey is one of the most renowned actress, African American Television host, philanthropist and producer. She hosts a multi award winning television talk show that has grown to become one of the highest television program viewed globally. Additionally, Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential women in the world who has the ability to touch other and influence behavior change. Oprah was at first named Orpha, which was later changed to Oprah because of her...

Words: 1480 - Pages: 6