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Oprah G. Winfrey

by Britnie from San Diego

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it. Try again. Do better the second time. The only people who never tumble are those who never mount the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.

Immersed in a deceitful world of disorder and seemingly impossible boundaries from the very start; Oprah Gail Winfrey became one of the first African American women to reach a billionaire status. She opened our eyes to unconditional understanding and love that the world is often deprived of. Using her powerful and inspirational place on the constantly shifting social latter, she has made a great impact on America and other countries everywhere. Oprah Winfrey is a hero because she has integrity, grit, and grace, as well as being completely selfless. She is also an inspiration to woman around the world.

Born on January 29, 1954, Oprah lived on a small farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She was the daughter of Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey, who divorced when she was a small child. Her parents were not involved in her life, Oprah’s Grandmother taught her to read at the age of 2. When she was enrolled in kindergarten, Oprah wrote letter to her teacher saying how she belonged in the first grade. Amazed, the teacher obliged. She then skipped the second grade and went straight to third grade. Oprah was always welcomed to recite poetry at social clubs and church teas where they called her, “The Little Speaker”. She kept this up and at age 12 she went to live with her father, in Nashville, where she earned 500 dollars for a speech at a church. This is when she knew she wanted to be “paid to talk”. After many more happenings Oprah went on to co-author many famous books, get her own TV show, become a famous actress and achieve countless other goals. Oprah's life was full of accomplishments; sadly those accomplishments came from learning lessons as an adolescent that most adults don’t even experience.

Oprah Winfrey had an incredibly hard childhood but she endured through it with wit and fortitude to become one of the most successful women in America. Oprah was a delinquent teenager and always “acting out and crying for attention” (Bourgoin). Winfrey saw Aretha Franklin getting out her car and said she was an orphan from Ohio. Franklin gave her 100 dollars, with which Winfrey rented herself a hotel room for three days until a minister brought her home. After that, her mother sent her to live with her father (Bourgoin). Oprah said, “her father saved her life.”(Winfrey) Vernon Winfrey was very strict and gave Oprah the tools she needed to turn herself around. Vernon made Oprah do weekly book reports and learn 5 new vocabulary words a day. Oprah became an excellent student and won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University. After she graduated, she finally started her career. Instead of hardening her heart and closing herself off to society she worked her way to the top, never forgetting about her humble backgrounds.

Oprah is an amazingly altruistic person. She has made several donations to charitable organizations and performed countless other selfless deeds. She spends four nights a week at shelters, churches and youth organizations doing lectures for free. She also spends two Saturdays a month with the little sisters program founded. Oprah spent 40 million dollars, of her own money, on the leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. Oprah believes that, “When you educate a girl, you give hope to all of us” (Winfrey). The Leadership Academy for Girls provides a meticulous and encouraging learning environment for academically gifted girls who come from a underprivileged back round. The campus stretches for 52 acres and has everything anyone could possibly think of. The fact that someone who was never shown any sort of compassion in her life, could dedicate herself to showing it as an adult, is amazing. Most would expect Oprah to be greedy and malevolent as soon as she reached the top; but she didn’t, she showed graciousness and sympathy like a true hero. Generosity and kindness are only two parts of what a hero is, one also has to be a good role model.

Oprah Winfrey, in my opinion, is an inspirational person because she has the ideal characteristics that everyone strives to possess. Every woman known wants to be graceful, intelligent, strong and successful; so why not let yourself be inspired be someone who has made these traits her sole personality? Oprah has broken through many poverty ridden, racial, cultural and gender barriers just by making it so far in a business that African American woman usually wouldn’t make it in. Another thing that makes Oprah an inspiration is her strong belief in one’s self. She once said something like “It’s not your circumstances that control your life; it’s your state of mind” (Winfrey). Oprah’s intelligence and cunning has made her a force to be reckoned with. A good example of this is when she took on a large portion of the beef industry. Four well known beef ranches took Oprah to court saying her comments on her show is what made them lose so much business; when in reality it was the fact that mad cow disease was the cause. Oprah fought for her right of freedom of speech and prevailed.

Oprah is a hero not only because of the things she has done but because of the qualities she possesses. In my eyes a hero is someone with endurance, cunning, fortitude and is an inspiration. That, is Oprah Winfrey.

Page created on 5/17/2010 3:04:12 PM

Last edited 5/17/2010 3:04:12 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.