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Oprah Winfrey: World
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Oprah Winfrey was born poor and black in Mississippi in 1954, when poor and black meant no flush toilets, no shoes, and no real chance to get ahead in the world. She was supposed to be "Orpah" Winfrey, named for the Biblical Ruth's sister-in-law (see Ruth, chapter 1), but the name was spelled wrong on her birth certificate, and soon everyone was calling her Oprah. She learned to read at home, and skipped kindergarten to go straight into first grade. She skipped second grade, too. At 17 she was working as a reporter for a local radio station. She was a bright kid.
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Oprah Winfrey's impact on the philanthropic sector and philanthropic lives of Americans (in particular) has been profound. From the everyday heroes she highlights to the causes she covers through her media outlets (ie. television, magazine, and film), Winfrey encourages philanthropy. As a generous wealthy donor, Winfrey takes a hands-on approach in making a difference in the world, often becoming involved in the causes and in promoting the organizations or causes to which she donates. The Oprah Winfrey Foundation has been an avenue for her substantial philanthropy. Additionally, she provides information on many venues through which her viewers and followers can become involved in the many issues or organizations she has highlighted throughout her career, ranging from Habitat for Humanity to Heifer International to women's education to child abuse and neglect.
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Oprah Winfrey has become one of the most recognized and admired public faces in the world. Through her candid style and warm personality, everybody has been falling in love with this queen of daytime talk shows for the past two decades. That is why there is no shortage of places to find Oprah Winfrey pictures on the Internet and here is a breakdown of some of the best.
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Winfrey's motto of "intent and service" is apparent in her commitment to philanthropy. The first recipient of the Academy of Television Arts and Science's Bob Hope Humanitarian Award, she donates at least 10 percent of her annual income to charity. In 1987, she established a private charity, the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. A crusader for women and children, the foundation has awarded hundreds of grants to nonprofits that "support the inspiration, empowerment and education of women, children and families around the world" (Phila.gov). She has contributed millions of dollars across the globe toward education for underprivileged but merit-worthy children.
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In 1983, Winfrey relocated to Chicago to host WLS-TV's low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago. The first episode aired on January 2, 1984. Within months after Winfrey took over, the show went from last place in the ratings to overtaking Donahue as the highest rated talk show in Chicago. It was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show, expanded to a full hour, and broadcast nationally beginning September 8, 1986.[18] On her 20th anniversary show, Oprah revealed that movie critic Roger Ebert was the one who persuaded her to sign a syndication deal with King World. Ebert predicted that she would generate 40 times as much revenue as his television show, At the Movies.[19] Having surpassed Donahue in the local market Winfrey quickly doubled his national audience, her show replacing his as the number one day-time talk show in America. Their much publicized contest was the subject of enormous scrutiny.
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In 1984, Winfrey took a major risk and accepted a job hosting a Chicago morning talk show, one that aired at the same time as the nationally top-rated, Chicago-based Phil Donahue talk show. This time it was her fears that had no basis for she soon found herself neck and neck in the ratings with Donahue. Her show ... went nationwide through King World Syndicate and as she expanded the operation, the money began rolling in. With the purchase of a large downtown production facility, Winfrey was able to become the third woman in the American entertainment industry -- after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball -- to own her own studio. She named it Harpo, which is, of course, "Oprah" spelled backwards. Using her considerable business acumen, Winfrey translated her show into a multi-million-dollar business, making her the wealthiest black woman in the U.S.
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