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Oprah Gail Winfrey

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In Kosciusko, Mississippi, Oprah Gail Winfrey was born on January 29, 1954. Her parents Vernon Winfrey and Vernita Lee intended to name her Orpah, after a women in the Bible. However, the midwife who helped the birth spelled it incorrectly on the birth certificate. Oprah had a tough childhood, her mother decided to leave her with her grandparents to go find a job after WW||. Oprah's grandparents live on a small farm, a small house with three bedrooms and a porch, it was falling apart, it also had no indoor plumbing. So she had to use slop jars. Oprah's grandmothers name was Hattie Mae, whom little Oprah called "mama". The grandparents cared for her, however, Oprah was frightened of them mostly her grandfather. Oprah stated " I remember him…show more content…
Once Oprah entered kindergarten she was advanced, and skipped to the thrips grade, the teachers found out that she had "reading and writing abilities of an eighth grader" (21). Eventually Oprah's grandparents became old and couldn't take care of her anymore, so at seven years old, her mother Vernita agreed to take Oprah in. By this time Vernita was working in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she has given birth to another daughter. Oprah didn't want to move with her mom, and she eventually got into trouble. She began to steal money from Vernita's purse, it wasn't too long once she started realizing her money was coming up missing so she sent Oprah to her fathers in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father Vernon Winfrey believed in discipline, work, education. Oprah said that life with her father and stepmother "was like a military school." (24). While living with her father her speaking ability grew stronger and stronger. Once her mother got Oprah back because her father didn't have parental rights her life spiraled downhill. Vernita gave birth to another child. From there on Oprah was lonely, she never seen her mother. She eventually got used to being lonely, and started getting sexually abused by her mother brother. She found comfort in books and speaking and that's what changed her life forever (Nicholson
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