Diversity Research Paper

Diversity Research Paper

According to Ottaviano & Peri (2006) cultural diversity exists in every sphere of human life in today's modern and globalized world. Furthermore, it is believed that cultural diversity improves the economic viability of different countries, as well. This is through, the many small, medium or large business setups by individuals belonging to different cultural minorities. Nevertheless, these minority entrepreneurs, though contributing to cultural diversity aspect, face numerous business and social challenges (Bagley, 2012). Conversely, this essay discusses the profile of one of the successful minority entrepreneur, Oprah Winfrey. This paper aims to highlight her biography and her professional and her personal journey to success. Along with, the challenges faced by her and her characteristic traits that personally have inspired the writer. These are discussed as below.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most popular African-American entrepreneurs in the world. Her claim to fame was her daytime talk show, which ran on television for twenty-five years. Oprah was born in 1954 on January 29th, in town of Kosciusko, Mississippi, USA to a young couple out of wedlock. Soon after, her parents had a fall out, and she was cared for by her paternal grandmother living in rural Mississippi. At the tender age of three, she was able to read and practice complex recitation, which showed early signs of her sharp mind. A significant turning point in Oprah's life came when she moved to live with her mother in 1960 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This brought many changes in her life. While, growing up Oprah and her mother did not share a loving bond as her mother was very inattentive towards her.

This caused her to become a disruptive teenager who indulged in deviant activities, like drugs. She also faced sexual harassment and abuse, which resulted in her giving birth to a premature baby, who did not survive, when she was only fourteen years old. This incident enraged her mother who decided to send Oprah to live with her father. Her father played a more active parental role in Oprah's life. It was while living with her father that the memories of chaos and abuse faced by her earlier began to fade away. She soon became a focused and a brilliant student at school and took part in various school activities. She was also a member of her school's student council (AceShowbiz, 2013).

After her high school graduation in 1971, Oprah went to Tennessee State University on a scholarship, where she graduated in B.A in Speech and Performing Arts in 1976. It was during this time that Oprah developed an interest in media and broadcast journalism. By the age of nineteen, Oprah became the first African-American female news anchor at WTVF-TV in Nashville. However, she was not satisfied with the static emotional part of a newscaster and looked for more intimate role to connect with her audiences. Soon she got an opportunity to co-host an early morning talk show titled 'People are talking', where she found her true calling of becoming a ...