Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey (http://img.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/oprah0508__opt.jpg)

If you think of a superhero, you think of a person using some superpower to help humanity as a whole. Now take out the “super.” You get a person using some power to help humanity as a whole. That is what a true, real-life hero does. A perfect example of this is Oprah Gail Winfrey, born January 29, 1954, on a farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Despite her very humble and often challenging upbringing, she now cares for people less fortunate than her, giving up her own time and money helping them better their own lives.

Oprah is a true hero because she inspires many people. She goes to people individually and focuses on their problems, often giving examples in her own life as a model, and in the end has them headed in the right direction. She is not picky about who she helps. This point was made clear on her show, which featured a wide variety of guests. “The Oprah Winfrey Show featured such topics and guests as a group of nudists without clothing in the studio (with only their faces shown), a live birth, white supremacists, transsexuals, pet death, gorgeous men, well-dressed women, and Winfrey's own struggle with her weight and coming to terms with the abuse she endured as a child.” (Academy of Achievement) No matter what it takes she is willing to do anything to help other people and lead them in the right direction, regardless of their situation. Oprah works to help people in ALL different types of problems. She even goes into her own past to give an example to others. Oprah helps others understand and see it in a new perspective by connecting with them. “She holds interviewees' hands during difficult discussions and often breaks into tears right along with them. One show's topic was incest, during which she revealed to her audience she had been raped by a cousin when she was nine years old.” (Biography.com) Whatever she’s involved in she is selflessly trying to point people in the right direction. It is evident that she truly cares about others, she is obviously not faking it, and her strong sympathy for everyone on her show proves that. Talking to people, calming them down, giving them a new direction, and helping them get started with their improved lives is one of the ways that Oprah Winfrey is a true hero.

Oprah Winfrey (http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/news/090202/oprah_winfrey240.jpg)

Oprah’s heroism is evident all the time when you look at how charitable she is. Without fail, she puts all of her energy into helping others. She earned every cent she owns, and yet she gives so much to those less fortunate. “Although one of the wealthiest women in America and the highest paid entertainer in the world, Winfrey has made generous contributions to charitable organizations and institutions such as Morehouse College, the Harold Washington Library, The United Negro College Fund, and Tennessee State University.” (Academy of Achievement) Even though she makes a lot of money and she can do whatever she wants with it, she decides to use her own money to help other people and their needs. Oprah knows the right thing to do, and she doesn’t hesitate to give all she has got to those in dire need for her help. Winfrey gives millions to organizations and causes across the globe. “In its inaugural year, Oprah's Angel Network raised over $3.5 million to fund college scholarships for students with financial needs. Beginning in April 2000, the Angel Network has been handing out "Use Your Life" awards every Monday on Winfrey's television show. The awards of $100,000 each are given to people who use their lives to better the lives of others. Winfrey has also entered a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, which has 10,000 volunteers helping to build houses for impoverished Americans throughout the country.” (Biography.com) This shows that she wants to give an opportunity to kids that want to go to school so she raised over $3.5 million to help pay for college for students that can’t afford it. She is very generous and there is no end to the amount of money and time she selflessly donates to charity. Oprah Winfrey is a fine example of a hero because through her whole life she has been devoted to helping others, she never gives up, and when someone needs guidance, she is there for them regardless of their race, age, gender, or socioeconomic status.

She made it look easy to become successful, and now she goes to people all around the world, teaching less fortunate people to achieve their own dreams. In my eyes, she is one of the most inspirational and charitable people in the world. Oprah Gail Winfrey of Kosciusko, Mississippi is a true, real world hero.

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"Oprah Gail Winfrey." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 16. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 333-336. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 31 Mar. 2011.

"Oprah Winfrey Biography -- Academy of Achievement." Academy of Achievement Main Menu. Academy of Achievement, 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 13 May 2011. http://www.achievement .org/autodoc/page/win0bio-1.

"Oprah Winfrey." 2011. Biography.com. 13 May 2011, 12:44 http://www.biography.com/articles/ Oprah-Winfrey-9534419?part=0.

Oprah Gail Winfrey. Digital image. Http://perezhilton.com. 02 Nov. 2007. Web. 17 May 2011. http://img.perezhilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/ oprah0508__opt.jpg.

Oprah Gail Winfrey. Digital image. Http://www.people.com. People Magazine. Web. 17 May 2011. http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2009/news/090202/oprah_ winfrey240.jpg.