In The Beginning

It seems unlikely that Oprah’s upbringing would lead to success. She was born to a teenage mother living in squalor on her grandmother’s rural Mississippi farm. There was no running water or electricity. Oprah’s mom moved north to secure work. The move left Oprah under the care of her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee. When Oprah started school, she wrote a letter to her teacher telling her that she didn’t belong in kindergarten because she knew a lot of big words, and then she listed all the big words she knew. As a result, Oprah moved to the 1st grade. Two different worlds separated where the Queen of Talk started and where she would end up.

Moving Around

Oprah began moving from caretaker to caretaker, a trend that continued into her teens. At 6, her grandmother became ill, and Oprah moved in with her mother in Milwaukee. By this time, her mother had since had two more children, and poverty was worse than ever. A year later, Oprah moved in with her father in Tennessee, where she skipped another grade in school. It was her first time having a room for herself, and her parents (dad and stepmom) cared for her deeply. Then, her mother called her back to Milwaukee. It was here where things started to unravel.

Abuse

When she returned to Milwaukee, Oprah endured many years of abuse at the hands of family members. When she was 9, a 19-year-old cousin raped her. He then bought her ice cream and told her not to tell anyone what had happened. The Queen of Talk would remain silent, never telling anyone until years later what had happened. Other family members, including an uncle, sexually abused her. These experiences and her story would later inspire her to advocate for the protection of children, but when they happened, they produced an entirely different result.

Land of Canaan

Oprah’s behavior was out of control, and all the while, the abuse continued. To rebel, she began skipping school, dating boys, and disregarding the rules. By the time she was 14, she discovered she was pregnant. For seven months, she hid her pregnancy, and the day she finally told her parents was the day she delivered her son, Canaan. Unfortunately, the baby died in the hospital two weeks later. Oprah named him Canaan because it meant new land. Whether she realized it at the time or not, she was about to move to a new land that would change her life forever.

A Turning Point

Oprah moved in with her father, who she claims saved her life. He was very strict and required her to learn at least five new vocabulary words daily and write weekly book reports. She excelled at school, participating in several groups- drama, student council, and debate- perfect for preparing the Queen of Talk. Suddenly, she found that her life had turned in a positive direction. Oprah never looked back.

 

Early Broadcasting

Oprah came to her first broadcasting position unexpectedly but with much hard work. At her father’s church, she regularly read and participated in services. One day, a pastor from California heard her and offered her $500 to come to Los Angeles to speak at his church. Then, WVOL, a local radio station, sponsored Nashville’s Miss Fire Prevention pageant, which Oprah won in 1971. She came to pick up her prizes, a Longines watch and a “digital” clock radio. A local DJ asked her to read a few lines. The reading procured Oprah her first job in broadcasting. She soon became the first African American female news anchor at WLAC-TV in Nashville.

 

Queen of Talk

With life heading in a positive direction, Oprah continued to experience success. On January 2, 1984, she began hosting AM Chicago, a struggling morning talk show in Chicago. She took the ratings from last to first. This show ultimately became the Oprah Winfrey Show, which successfully blew out the talk show ratings from that date until 2011. She won several Emmys, and (mostly) women everywhere tuned in. Oprah became the Queen of Talk.

The Oprah Touch

Success was hers for the taking as everything Oprah touched seemed to turn to gold. She created Harpo, one of the most financially successful production companies. Then, Oprah collaborated with Warner Brothers to create a network called OWN. Later, she created a successful magazine, O, which ran for 20 years, and even purchased Weight Watchers.

Life of Healing

Oprah Winfrey may not have been able to see all the wonderful places her path would take her back in rural Mississippi. After all, her job opportunities in the 1950s were minimal. But, once Oprah got on the right path, she began a healing journey as she sought to overcome the hurts of her childhood. With hard work and wisdom, she has shared each leg of her trip and every moment of growth. She has impacted women everywhere who had an opportunity to not only look at Oprah Winfrey’s healing journey but were healed too.