Knowledge
is power! With knowledge you can soar and reach as high as your dreams can take
you." This belief has guided Oprah Winfrey on her brilliant journey from a troubled
youth to international fame.
Her father, Vernon Winfrey,
helped to turn her life around by imposing a curfew and requiring Oprah to work
after school in his store and to read a book weekly. Oprah's commitment to education,
making good grades and possessing good communication skills made her who she
is today. A personal experience motivated Winfrey to propose the National Child
Protection Act which Congress passed and President Clinton signed into law recently.
She has become one of America's most vocal spokespersons against child abuse.
"I speak out on behalf of children because every time we remove a child from
an abusive home, rescue a child from neglect and emotional humiliation, we add
light and healing to our lives and to society."
Majoring in speech communications,
Winfrey graduated from Tennessee State University and at 19 was hired by WTVF-TV
in Nashville, Tennessee, making her its first African-American and youngest
woman news anchor. In 1 976, Winfrey moved to WJZ-TV in Baltimore and soon become
one of that city's top television personalities. Her next stop was WLS-N in
Chicago where she and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" became national treasures.
Harpo Productions, a state
of the art television and film production facility, purchased "The Oprah Winfrey
Show" in 1986. Only two other women have ever owned their own studios -- Lucille
Ball and Mary Pickford. In four years, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" went from a
local show to a nationally syndicated program. It is seen in 204 cities in the
U.S. and 113 countries. Winfrey appeared in the film "The Color Purple" and
was nominated for an academy award. Harpo Productions, with Oprah in starring
roles, has co-produced such outstanding dramas as "The Women of Brewster Place"
and "There Are No Children Here." Winfrey and Harpo Productions have received
20 Daytime Emmy Awards and six NAACP Image Awards as well as other significant
honors.
Winfrey's dream has soared
beyond her wildest imagination. She remembers her past by advocating children's
rights issues and excellence in education through financial gifts.
