Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey, born in 1954, faced poverty and hardships growing up. She overcame these challenges to become a successful broadcaster and host of her own talk show. She also started her own book club and launched the Oprah Winfrey Network. Oprah is known for her philanthropy, including founding a boarding school in South Africa and supporting various charities. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2013. Hey everyone, welcome to the Weekly Whiteboard, where we talk about historical figures and their impact. We're your hosts, Brian Moose and Candon Bowles. In today's episode, we will be talking about Oprah Winfrey. Oprah Winfrey, originally named Orpah, which was later changed because of mispronunciation, was born on January 29, 1954 in Kosciuszko, Mississippi. Oprah originally lived with her grandmother. Her grandmother taught her how to read at the age of three, which eventually became a passion. Her grandmother wanted her to be a maid and get some good white folk. As Oprah was growing up, she faced poverty while moving to different housing developments after moving in with her mother at the age of six in Milwaukee. While living with her mother in Milwaukee, she faced many hardships, such as struggling in school and experiencing sexual abuse from family members. Oprah Winfrey moved in with her dad at the age of nine. She started to improve her grades and became a better student. At the age of 14, she had a son who died shortly after birth, which her father saw as a second chance. At the age of 17, she entered and won the Miss Black Tennessee, earning herself a scholarship and catching the attention of the WVOL radio station, her first on-air job. This would kickstart her career in broadcasting in 1976. At the age of 19 years old, she was a co-anchor for WJZ-TV. In 1978, she was recruited for the talk show People Are Talking as a co-host with Richard Scherr. After a brief stint on the AM Chicago, Oprah was cast in the 1985 film Color Purple, directed by Steven Spielberg. Finally, in 1986, Oprah would make the move from co-host to host in the self-titled Oprah Winfrey Show that aired on the WLS-TV. With over 4,500 episodes and 18 daytime Emmys, Oprah grew her brand into a nationwide empire, which included her own book club in the 2011 launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network OWN. Determined to give young women a better start, Oprah founded a boarding school in South Africa for troubled girls. In addition to her own private charity, which supports the education and empowerment of women, children, and the families in the United States and around the world, she has also donated millions to the UNCF. Due to her many philanthropic endeavors, Oprah was awarded the 2013 Medal of Freedom. Thank you for listening to the Weekly Whiteboard Podcast about Oprah Winfrey and next week tune back in for another podcast. If you'd like a shout out on next week's podcast, please email Mr. Barnhart and we will make sure to shout you out next week.