Oprah Winfrey: Success Through Hardships

Oprah Winfrey – a powerful and inspirational woman. It wasn’t always like that though. Oprah was born on January 29, 1954, her parents were divorced before she was born. So growing up for Oprah was hard, always having to switch houses. When Oprah was at her mom’s house it wasn’t the safest.

At the age of 9, Oprah was raped by her 19-year-old cousin and she was molested by family friends till the age of 14. When Oprah was 14 she had gotten pregnant, but her baby died. During that time when Oprah was going through all of this, she started blaming herself for the things that happened to her. Oprah’s depression kept getting worse, she became suicidal and started smoking cocaine to help reduce the pain she was going through. Oprah went to a juvenile delinquent home after all of this hoping that she would stop all of it.

Once she did she moved in with her grandmother and helped her out until she died, then Oprah’s depression came back because she was close with her grandma. Oprah then had to move in with her father. Her father had very high standards, such as she had to learn 5 words each day before she got to eat dinner, she also had to keep her grades really high. Although the standards were really high her father knew she could handle it and graduate high school. Oprah’s mom wanted nothing to do with her after she was raped and molested so she turned to her dad and grandma.

During high school, Oprah won the “Miss Black Tennessee Beauty Pageant.” Oprah was also voted most popular her senior year, Oprah won a full scholarship when she was 16 to Tennessee University after high school. Oprah was offered a job working at a radio station during college. Oprah majored in Speech Communication and Performing Arts. But before graduation, she dropped out of college to take a job offer. No matter what Oprah kept being confident knowing that where she is going she can always make good out of it. One thing Oprah never let happen was, she never let her past get in the way of what her dreams were because dreams were what she fought for and till this day she even helps other people’s come true. In 1976 Oprah went off to become a reporter/co-anchor of the evening news in Baltimore. Then Oprah was offered a job in Chicago in 1984. Shortly less than a year Oprah turned the “AM Chicago” became “ The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

After that time took its place. Oprah’s audience started getting bigger and bigger by the show. The guests that showed up on the show with Oprah had a connection with her even if they haven’t even met yet. That’s called the “Oprah Effect,” Oprah would talk to people and she can reach a deep connection. Even with women also.

Oprah is very technique, when a woman comes in as a guest she can reach down and grab a connection. Unlike other women, Oprah connects with younger girls also who have questions about life and growing up. With the help of Oprah’s father, he demanded Oprah have weekly book reports so that she could be high up. Her father may have been strict but he gave her structure and guidance.

Oprah participated in the drama club, debate club, and student council. In the Elk Club speaking contest that is where Oprah won a full scholarship. The following year Oprah was invited to the White House Conference on Youth. Oprah kept going with her work and never gave up on her dreams even though there was a lot going on as an adolescent. While working the evening news, Oprah was the first African American female co-anchor, she was only nineteen and a sophomore in college.

When Oprah started the A.M Chicago she changed the emphasis from women issue to current controversial topics. About a month later Oprah was the Donahue’s show. Then about three months later in September 1985, it was renamed to the Oprah Winfrey Show. Oprah then appeared in the Good Morning America Show. Oprah also did the show The Color Purple.

In September of 1996, Oprah started on an on-air reading club. One of Oprah’s books (The Deep End of the Ocean) became the number one bestseller in February 1997. So now today Oprah has her own talk show, she gives some of her money into organizations to give scholarships to adolescents, also helps young girls out about life and struggles of the real world. Oprah is an inspirational woman who has won 25 Emmy’s at the end of 1996.

Oprah, in my opinion, is a proven fact that no matter how hard life might be or the struggles you might face don’t give up you have a future ahead even if you can’t see it now, you will see it later.