Oprah Gail Winfrey

Oprah smiling for the camera (http://images.buddytv.com/articles/the-oprah-winfrey-show/oprah.jpg)

Picture a young abused girl, sitting on the side of the street. She is infested with the disease of AIDS. Confused, lost, and broken. Covered in dirt and begging for money. Oprah Gail Winfrey as a young girl knows about some of the bad experiences shown above. Now Oprah is one of the top contributors for stopping Abuse and the infestation of AIDS. Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Many people know Oprah as the woman who hosts an Emmy award winning talk show; therefore, she is the first African American woman to earn billionaire status. She has created many organizations to help children all over the world. Many people define heroes as people that have heroic traits. Oprah is a hero in many people’s eyes because she is caring and humble.

Oprah with all her kids (http://www.amoeba.com/dynamic-images/blog/Eric_B/Oprah)

Over the past years, Oprah has shown numerous displays of how caring she is. Everybody loves a caring person, but Oprah does more than care. She inspires and she shows people that she cares by taking action: “A part of my mission in life now is to encourage every other child who has been abused to tell. You tell, and if they don’t believe you, you keep telling. You tell everybody until somebody listens to you…I don’t want another child to be afraid of saying, ‘this is what happened to me’.” (Kirkwood) This quote is explaining child abuse. Although Oprah is one of the most wealthiest women in America and the highest paid entertainers in the world, she has made many contributions to charities such as the Guateng Department of Education to help these children get a proper education so they know what they should do if a scenario like rape meets them. According to Horace Mann, “A human being is not attaining his full potential until he is educated.” Oprah also has the same mental attitude: “Education is the way to move mountains, to build bridges, to change the world. Education is the path to the future. I believe that education is indeed freedom. With God’s help, these girls will be the future leaders on the path to peace.” (Kyra Kirkwood quotes directly from Oprah) As a child, Oprah always wanted attention. This was because she was not properly educated at first. She says, “My father saved my life. He was very strict and provided me with guidance, structure, rules, and books. He required me to complete weekly book reports, and I went without dinner until I learned five new vocabulary words each day.” (Oprah Gail Winfrey." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 14 Apr. 2011.) Oprah realized the importance of education and the power that came with it. Now she is working hard to spread the power of getting a good education to those who need it most. Oprah is not only a caring and comforting person; she also gives back to numerous charities around the world.

Oprah cutting the ribbon to her new organization (http://www.foxnews.com/images/250743/2_62_oprah_school.jpg)

Most famous celebrities these days acquire money from movies and commercials and keep it for themselves. Oprah on the other hand is quite the opposite. She gives back millions of dollars to charities around the world to give them an education and to get rid of AIDS:

“Oprah has also created the Oprah Winfrey Leadership academy for Girls in South Africa. The school will teach girls to be the best human beings they can be, training them to become decision makers and leaders, allowing them to explore the challenging and changing world through advanced education techniques and advanced technology, including a telecommunications system. They latter will allow Oprah to teach from Chicago. South African teachers and administrators will be selected from the best and the brightest of South Africa’s educators. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation will contribute $10 million to build and maintain the academy with additional funding to come from the Guateng Department of Education.” (Kirkwood)

Oprah making a speech (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/)

Being humble and caring are traits Oprah possesses to make her a respected hero. Oprah inspires everyone with her caring and humble heart. Oprah always performs at her best, and seeing her care for people, comfort people, and give to people inspires me to be my best that I can be. When you fall down, get back up and keep trying. Oprah is known for many things but what makes her a hero is how she cares, comforts and gives back for all the things that she’s gotten. Oprah has been through a lot, but stopping problems in this world is her main goal. A human being, working so hard to make our world, we share a better place is nothing short of a hero.

"Oprah Gail Winfrey." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 16. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 333-336. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Apr. 2011.

"Winfrey, Oprah 1954-." American Decades. Ed. Judith S. Baughman, et al. Vol. 10: 1990-1999. Detroit: Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Apr. 2011.

"Winfrey, Oprah." UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography. Ed. Laura B. Tyle. Vol. 10. Detroit: UXL, 2003. 1954-1957. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 24 Apr. 2011.