Oprah Winfrey As A Contemporary Leader

Abstract

The purpose of this assignment was to learn through extensive research about any contemporary leader of a non-profit organization or a public official. Therefore, this research paper is centered on Oprah Winfrey, who although owns her own corporation, is greatly involved into charity work and forming different non-profit organizations to help people from various walks of life. She is a worthy celebrity as well as a noted philanthropist, who rose above her poverty stricken background to reach the stars through determination, intelligence and careful planning. Not only is she a media mogul, but an equally formidable businesswoman. Labeled early on in her career as 'America's Sweetheart,' Oprah truly has the 'Midas Touch.'

Table of Contents

Introduction4

Discussion4

Early Life of Oprah Gail Winfrey4

Oprah: The Artist, Humanitarian and Businesswoman5

'The Oprah Effect'6

Oprah As a Leader6

Criticisms8

Conclusion8

Interview with Oprah Winfrey9

References11

Appendices12

Oprah Winfrey As A Contemporary Leader

Introduction

Oprah Gail Winfrey, an international celebrity, actress, talk show host, teacher, book critic, publisher, and founder of Harpo Productions is a living breathing media brand. Many fervently believe and pray for her to receive a Nobel Peace Prize for her philanthropic efforts in America and Africa. Oprah truly has a larger than life personality, she has proven the myth 'from rags to riches' by rising from great adversity to become one of the most celebrated people in the world today.

Oprah has been titled by Life magazine as one of the most powerful women of her generation, Business Week in 2005 hailed her as the greatest Black humanitarian in national history and Forbes announced her the world's lone black billionaire for three consecutive years and the richest African American woman in the 20th century (www.suraen.wordpress.com). She founded Oprah's Angel Network which raised more than $51,000,000 for benevolent programs like education for girls in South Africa and relief for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina, all of which went to the people in need, paying for the 'overhead costs' of running the network personally (Huy, 2012).

Moreover, she established the Family for Better Lives foundation, as well as proposing a bill to Congress for forming a database of convicted child abusers which was passed in 1994 under President Clinton (Huy, 2012).

Discussion

Early Life of Oprah Gail Winfrey

Oprah, born on January 29, 1954 was originally named 'Orpah' after a character in the bible. It was changed to 'Oprah' due to friends and family constantly mispronouncing her name. She was born to a teenage mother in Kosciusko, Mississippi in great poverty. Initially she was raised on a rural farm by her grandparents but was sent to her mother and two step-siblings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the age of six where she was continually molested by male friends of her mother as well as relatives. She became pregnant at age fourteen after which she was sent to live with her strict father in Nashville, Tennessee, under whom she began to thrive after years of hardship (Garson, 2011).

From then on began Oprah's journey to becoming the great role model as we see her ...