African American Talk Show Host: Oprah Winfrey

(Oprah publicity image.  Courtesy of Twitter/Oprah)

Oprah is a very famous talk show host, who is known to be one of the most powerful people in the world. She is also famous for her interesting interviews and her caring personality shown by her charity work. 2003's Forbe's Most Influential Person.

Background: 

Oprah Winfrey was born in the rural town of Kosciusko, Mississippi, on January 29, 1954. She had a very challenging childhood which included her parents separating and At six years old Winfrey was sent north to join her mother and two half-brothers in a Milwaukee ghetto, an extremely poor and dangerous neighborhood, then had to move again to Tennessee, and also faced sexual abuse. In 1976, Winfrey moved to Baltimore, where she hosted a hit television chat show, People Are Talking. Afterward, she was recruited by a Chicago TV station to host her own morning show. She later became the host of her own, wildly popular program, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which aired for 25 seasons, from 1986 to 2011. That same year, Winfrey launched her own TV network, the Oprah Winfrey Network.

Accomplishments in the 90s: 

~Oprah testified before the US Congress and initiated the National Child Protection Act (which helps children against violence, abuse, exploitation, and neglect in 1991.
~In 1995, Oprah not only won an Emmy for Best Talk Show and Best Host for the second year in a row, but also kick started Oprah Online on AOL (American Online) in partnership with ABC. Oprah became the first woman and the only black on Forbes list of 400 richest Americans in the same year.

~In the year 1996, Oprah received the prestigious George Foster Peabody's Individual Achievement Award.

~In the year 1998, Oprah received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Daytime Emmy Awards and an award for top talk show host.

(Oprah on her show. Image Courtesy of Oprah Website) 

Impact:

The first key factor of celebrity which can be shown from Oprah Winfrey is through her influences on people.  The second key factor of celebrity is the power. Oprah has shown that celebrities should have the power and are willing to help others. Oprah also paved the way for talk shows because instead of just gossip and "trash talk", she actually shared meaningful stories. 

Additional Information:

https://www.hastac.org/blogs/yuxin-dai/2015/11/20/how-does-oprah-winfrey-influence-society

https://www.biography.com/people/oprah-winfrey-9534419

http://www.oprah.com/index.html

https://search.proquest.com/central/docview/270041382/3E5BFBE0CC1D483APQ/2?accountid=37705

https://search.proquest.com/central/docview/258916027/3E5BFBE0CC1D483APQ/11?accountid=37705

https://search.proquest.com/central/docview/277871401/3E5BFBE0CC1D483APQ/21?accountid=37705

Page researched and written by Hannah Martin.