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February 04, 2009
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey was born January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. She escaped a troubled childhood living with her mother where she was repeatedly sexually abused by male family members and friends, to live with her father in Nashville.
She attended Tennessee State University in 1971 and began working in radio and television.
In 1976 Oprah moved to Baltimore where she hosted the TV talk show, "People are Talking", the show was a hit and Oprah stayed with it for eight years. Her success led her to Stephen Speilberg's 1985 film "The Color Purple" for which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
She launched the Oprah Winfrey Show in 1986. The show was such a success that she gained ownership of it from ABC and placed it under the control of her production company Harpo Productions and made more money from syndications. Her show free of tabloid topics earned her the respect and popularity of her viewers.
Harpo has undertaken many projects, one being the production of the 1989 miniseries "The Women of Brewsters Palce" which Oprah also starred in.
Oprah well known for her constant struggle with her weight is also known for the launching of "Oprah's Book Club" as part of her talk show. This is where novels are introduced, read and discussed on air.
Oprah has the distinction of being one of the most powerful and wealthy people in show business. According to Forbes Magazine, Oprah is the richest African American of the 20th century and the world's only black billionaire 3 years running.
She has also launched a monthly magazine called "O: The Oprah Winfrey Magazine" in 2000.
In 2005 Business Week named her the greatest Black philanthropist in American history. She has also raised millions of dollars for her various charities through her Oprah's Angel Network.
Oprah is a dedicated activist for children's rights and in 1994 got President Clinton to sign a bill creating an active database of convicted child abusers.
In 2002 she was named the first recipient of the Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences' Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
In 2007 she campaigned for democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama attracting the largest crowds of the primary season.
She has also financed a school for underprivileged girls in South Africa called The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy.
She is engaged to Stedman Graham and the couple live in Chicago.