Oprah Winfrey Contributions

One of the most inspiring women to me is Oprah Gail Winfrey. She was born on January 29, 1954 at 7:51 P.M. EST in Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA. Oprah was the daughter of two unwed teens, Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey. Oprah had two siblings, one half brother and one half sister, that both died. Oprah was originally named “Orpah” after the Biblical character in the book of Ruth, but there was a typo on her birth certificate. She was brought up by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee. Her grandmother taught Oprah to read and write by the age of three. Because they lived such poor lives, Oprah was made fun of for wearing dresses made of potato sacks and played with dolls made of corn husks. She actually didn’t receive her first pair of shoes until she was six years old. The locals quickly perceived Oprah “gifted” at the age of three. She was a talented speaker when she spoke at church. In kindergarten, she wrote to her teacher, “I don’t think I belong here because I know a lot of big words”, so she skipped kindergarten. She learned discipline and drama in the Southern Baptist Church, but she left the organization as an adult. Oprah moved around several times as a child. When she was six years old she moved to Wisconsin with her mother. At the age of nine, and various years after, she was sexually abused by her teenage cousin, male relatives, and friends. Oprah tried to run away from home when she was 13. She also had experiences with drugs, such as cocaine, when she was a teen.