{"id":38,"date":"2010-10-05T23:36:17","date_gmt":"2010-10-06T03:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/2010\/10\/05\/oprah-winfrey-the-show-is-not-over-yet\/"},"modified":"2010-10-15T11:15:35","modified_gmt":"2010-10-15T15:15:35","slug":"oprah-winfrey-the-show-is-not-over-yet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/2010\/10\/05\/oprah-winfrey-the-show-is-not-over-yet\/","title":{"rendered":"Oprah Winfrey: The Show Is Not Over Yet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"oc4.jpg\"<\/a> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0She defied both cultural and gender barriers, overcame obstacles that many of us could never dream of encountering, and above all, showed the world that anything is possible as long as you maintain the strength, will-power and desire to make a difference. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey has dedicated most of her time and money to improve the lives of others. She has allowed fans and audiences alike to see that it is not about the situations individuals face or the conditions in which they live that are going to govern their success and achievements in this world, but rather it is their hearts and determination that make all the difference. Oprah was the first African-American woman to become a billionaire in 2003, and since then has donated to millions of dollars to help underprivileged students receive a better education. She has influenced individuals across the world and has used her reputation and power only for the good of others.<\/p>\n

Oprah did not grow up having a fairytale lifestyle by any means. Her mother was an unwed 18-year-old and her father, a 24-year-old in the armed forced. One can safely say that even as a newborn, Oprah had a wall of obstacles that she forced to overcome; she was poor African-American female born into an environment with unmarried parents. Because her mother left her to look for a job in a northern state, Oprah spent the first couple years of her life on her grandmother's farm, these years being some of the best of her life. Her grandmother taught her how to read and write and by the age of three, Oprah began her public speaking career by reciting sermons and verses from the Bible at local churches. However, at the age of six, Oprah was sent to live with her mother in Milwaukee; a move that essentially caused her both physical and emotional harm. At the age of nine, Oprah was raped by a cousin and later, endured continual abuse and was frequently molested by her uncle and one of her mother's male friends. As a result, she became very sexually active as a teenager and often partook in wild outings and behaviors.<\/p>\n

After giving birth to a baby, who died while still in the womb, Oprah was determined to turn her life around and make something of herself, thus she made the decision to move in with her father who lived in Nashville. While his rules were strict and discipline harsh, Oprah's father helped to put her on the right path. “As strict as he was,” says Oprah, “he had some concerns about me making the best of my life, and would not accept anything less than what he thought was my best.”<\/p>\n

At 19-years old, Oprah started her first job as a reporter for a radio station in Nashville and after that, her life continued to flourish. After hosting a hit TV show entitled, People are Talking<\/em>, and her own morning show called A.M. Chicago<\/em>, Oprah's success was gradually becoming evident to individuals across the world. In 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show <\/em>had its first national broadcast and just like that, Oprah's way of life was turned upside down. Her television show became an instant attraction to audiences nationwide and in 1987 won three Daytime Emmy Awards.<\/p>\n

America instantly fell in love with Oprah and all she had to offer. The Oprah Winfrey Show <\/em>presented inspiring and breathtaking stories, as well as popular guests who attracted viewers. In addition, Oprah sought to establish a daytime show not common at the time; it was one that, in addition to entertaining people, stressed the importance of spiritual values and maintaining a healthy way of life.<\/p>\n

There is no denying that Oprah did all she could to help others, possibly because she was never really helped herself. She did not have a great support system growing up and her childhood was anything but ordinary. And yet, she never let these troubles tear her down, in fact, she used them to make herself stronger and that is why she is the hero she is today. Deemed one of the "100 Most Influential People of the 20th<\/sup> century" by Time <\/em>magazine, Oprah Winfrey is more than just a successful talk show host.\u00a0 She is an inspiration and has had an overpowering influence on the way individuals eat and exercise and most importantly, on the way they think and feel about themselves.<\/p>\n

It may not be possible to teach someone how to dream or accomplish a goal, but Oprah's heroic story and all that she has accomplished is enough to do just that. She is a hero that has shown us that anything is possible; you just cannot give up when the going gets tough.<\/p>\n

Below is a clip comprising of Oprah’s fondest moments on television as she says goodbye to The Oprah Winfrey show.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0She defied both cultural and gender barriers, overcame obstacles that many of us could never dream of encountering, and above all, showed the world that anything is possible as long as you maintain the strength, will-power and desire to make a difference. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Winfrey has dedicated most of her time and … Continue reading Oprah Winfrey: The Show Is Not Over Yet<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1182,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1270],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-melanie"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1182"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/psyc449\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}