Oprah Winfrey Research Paper

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Oprah Winfrey is one of the richest African American woman in the 21st century. She has a net worth of $3 billion she is definitely one of the most influential women in the world. She has built her way up from her rough upbringing. She was the daughter of an unmarried teen who worked as a housemaid, Oprah grew up in extreme poverty. As a young girl Oprah was made fun of at school for wearing dresses made from potato sacks. She also was the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of close family members. At age 17, Oprah Winfrey won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pageant and was offered an on air job at WVOL, a radio station serving the African American community in Nashville. She also won a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, where…show more content…
In 1987, its first year of eligibility, the show received three Daytime Emmy Awards in the categories of Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program and Outstanding Direction. The following year, the show received its second consecutive Emmy as Outstanding Talk/Service Program, and Oprah herself received the International Radio and Television Society's "Broadcaster of the Year" Award. She was the youngest person ever to receive the honor. Her love for acting and performing on tv was so deep that she even started her own production company, named Harpo production Inc. In 1988, Harpo Productions, Inc. acquired ownership and all production responsibilities for The Oprah Winfrey Show from Capitol Cities/ABC, making Oprah Winfrey the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show. Oprah began her show with outrageous and sensational stories and…show more content…
She motivated by her childhood abuse initiated her own campaign to establish a national database of convicted child abusers and testified before a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a National Child Protection Act. Oprah eben had a Bill named after her by president Clinton in 1993. Oprah Winfrey was named one of the "100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century" by Time magazine, and in 1998 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She continued to earn top names in the entertainment industry. Her influence over the publishing industry exploded when she began her on-air book club in 1996. "Oprah Book Club" selections became instant bestsellers, and in 1999 she received the National Book Foundation's 50th anniversary gold medal for her service to books and authors. She herself has authored five books. A proposed book on weight loss, to be co-written with her personal trainer, has received a publisher's advance fee reported to be the highest in history. Oprah Winfrey's business interests have extended to more than her own production company. She is one of the partners in Oxygen Media, Inc., a cable channel and interactive network presenting programming designed primarily for women. With her success, she has also become one of the world's most generous philanthropists. When Forbes published its list of America's billionaires for the

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