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Oprah's Birth
Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She was born out of wedlock. Later in life she was raised on a farm by her grandmother. Oprah's parents are Vernon Winfrey, a coal miner, and Vernita Lee, a housemaid. Her mother raised her, and Oprah didn't meet her father until the late 1900s. She was born as Orpah Gail Winfrey after a character in the Book of Ruth, but people didn't know how to pronounce it so her name changed to Oprah. She is 89% Sub Saharan African, 8% Native American, and 3% East Asian. -
Moving In
Moved from Milwaukee to live with her mother, stepsister and stepbrother in an inner city ghetto in Mississippi. -
Sexually Abused
Oprah stated that at age 9, she was molested by her cousin, uncle, and a family friend. When she was 24, she brought it to her familys' attention, and they refused to believe it. At age 13, after suffering abuse, Oprah ran away from home. When she was 14 she became with a boy, but he died shortly after birth. -
Mother-Dughter Relationship
Oprah began stealing money from her mother, lie and argue with her, and go out with older boys. Her mother then sent Oprah to Tennessee to live with her father, and refused to take her back. Oprah once commented that she will not have children because she was not mothered well. -
High School
Oprah was enrolled at East Nashville High School. Oprah always got teased for her poverty on the bus by fellow African Americans . She became an honors student, was voted most popular, and joined the speech team. She won an oratory contest, which secured her a full scholrship at Tennessee State University, a historically black institute. -
Gone To College
She won a scholarship to Tennessee State University based on her communication skills and worked at the WVOL local news station whilst attending the University of Tennessee. Also was granted the name of "First Miss Black Tennessee." In her first two years of college Oprah worked at a local black radio station. By working in local media, she became known as the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV. -
Beginning Of Career
She left college before graduating to accepet a job in Baltimore. she worked as a reporter at WJZ-TV on the evening news program.Galye King became her best friend. -
Taken Off
At WJZ-TV Oprah was taken off the evening program and made cohost of the morning show "People Are Talking" -
The Meeting
Oprah met Stedman Graham, who was to become "significant other".She also met quincy Jones, who offered her role of Sophia in The Color Purple, for which she became an Oscar nominee -
Telivision
The TV show "At the Movies", was renamed "The Oprah Winfrey Show", and expanded to a one hour episode. In the early years of her show, it was known as a tabloid talk show. In the mid 1990s Oprah started hosting her shows on broader topics such as geopolitics, spirituality, interviewing celebrities, and televised giveaways. Her final show is scheduled to air Sep. 2011. On Jan. 15, 2008, Oprah and Discovery Communications announced OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. That aired on Jan. 1, 2010. -
The Oprah Purpose
Named Broadcaster of the Year by the International Television and Radio Society, Oprah was the youngest person to receive the award.She begun to produce company Harpo, she purchased the studio and production company. She bought a farm in Indiana. In later years she purchased two other homes, one in Colorado and one in California -
New Freinds
Oprah made the documentary Scared Silent. She also meet Bob Greene, who became her fitness trainer and friend -
More...
Knopf published In The Kitchen With Rosie, a cookbook written by Oprah's chef with some input from Oprah. Bob Greene's book Make The Connection was published under the names of Bob Greene and Oprah Winfrey -
And More . . .
Oprah created "Angel Network" Oprah appered in and produced the television film Before Women Had Wings. Oprah gave the commencement address at Welesley Coege, from which Stedman Graham's daughter was graduating. Art Smith became Oprah's chef and wrote a cookbook.
