Oprah

Childhood

Oprah

Orpah Gail Winfrey was born January 29, 1954, in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her namesake was a Biblical character from the book of Ruth. However, people in the rural Mississippi town found Orpah difficult to pronounce and the baby was frequently called "Oprah." Eventually, the name stuck.

Little Oprah's teenage parents, Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, were unable to raise a child, so the girl lived with her paternal grandmother. Although they were poor, Winfrey thrived under her grandmother's guidance, learning to read before the age of three. It has been said that, even then, Oprah was destined for broadcasting success. The little girl would sit and interview her dolls. She and her grandmother spent much time in church, and the little orator was often called upon to speak before the Kosciusko Baptist Church congregation. From an early age, it was clear that the child was a gifted speaker.

Things changed drastically when Winfrey was 6-years-old and she moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother. Gone was the loving guidance and stability of her early childhood. Over the next several years, the girl was repeatedly sexually abused by various male relatives. Like many others who have been similarly abused, she rebelled. A self-proclaimed wild child, Winfrey dabbled in drugs and became promiscuous. When she was just 14, Oprah gave birth to a son. Sadly, the premature baby died shortly after birth.

Finally, in desperation, Winfrey ran away and ended up living in Nashville with her father. Vernon Winfrey was a strict and rigid disciplinarian, but it was exactly the tough love that Oprah needed. Under his authoritative guidance, she excelled at school and joined the speech club. Oprah says, "He had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less than what he thought was my best."

Radio & Television Star

Winfrey & Elmo at the 2nd Annual Sesame Street Workshop

When Winfrey was still in high school, she was hired as a radio broadcaster by WVOL in Nashville. The 17-year-old would rush to her radio job each day after school. At the tender age of 19, Winfrey was hired as a news reporter. Soon she moved to Baltimore and worked for WJZ-TV as a news anchor. However, Winfrey was not successful as a reporter, largely because her natural empathy prevented her from asking tough questions of people in crises. When the television station had no other place to put her, they signed her as a co-host of a morning talk show. It was soon clear that 22-year-old Winfrey had found her niche.

By 1984, Winfrey had moved to Chicago to host AM Chicago. Within a year, she had transformed the show from a failing platform to the most popular morning talk show in Chicago, surpassing even Donahue. By the end of 1985, AM Chicago had a new name: The Oprah Winfrey Show. Within a year, the show was nationally syndicated and Oprah was on her way to super stardom.

Oprah the Actress

Years before she had settled on a career in broadcasting, Winfrey longed to be an actress. In 1985, she got the opportunity. Discovered by the legendary Quincy Jones, Winfrey was cast as Sofia in The Color Purple. The performance earned rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. In the coming years, Winfrey appeared in and produced several other movies.

Community Involvement

Winfrey has always strived to encourage other's to make a difference in someone's life. In 2000, she created Oprah's Angel Network. This organization offers monetary assistance to charity organizations around the world.

Awards and Accolades

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Hall of Fame (2005)
• Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World
• United Nations Association of the United States of America – Global Humanitarian Action Award (2004)
• Broadcast & Cable Hall of Fame (2002)
• 54th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards – Bob Hope Humanitarian Award (2002)
• Daytime Emmy Daytime Emmy Awards (over 40 awards)
• National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences – Lifetime Achievement Award (1998)
• TV Guide – Television Performer of the Year (1997)
• Newsweek – Most Important Person in Books and Media (1997)
• Nominated for for Academy Award and Golden Globe awards for The Color Purple (1985)

This is just a small sample of Winfrey's awards, nominations, and accolades.

Winfrey Trivia

• She won the Miss Black Tennessee pageant in 1971.
• She calls her fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Mary Duncan, one of her heroes.
• She survived early interviews and broadcasting jobs by pretending to be Barbara Walters.
• The name of Winfrey's production company, Harpo, is Oprah spelled backwards.