Transformational Leadership Profile - Oprah
Beginnings
Oprah was born in Kosciusko, Mississippi on January 29, 1954 (Academy of Achievement 2005). She was brought up by a grandmother in a farm where she learned to read aloud and recite at the age of 3. From 6 years old, she lived with her mother, Vernita Lee, in Milwaukee. She suffered abuse and molestation, ran away and was sent to a juvenile detention home at 13 where she was refused admission because all the beds were occupied. She was moved to her father's house in Nashville where she was subjected to strict discipline. Her father, Vernon, made his daughter observe a midnight curfew and read and write a book report each week. Oprah would later admit that, despite his strictness, he was for what was best in her life and would not accept anything less than what he believed was that best.
Oprah finished a course in Speech Communications and Performing Arts at the Tennessee State University (Academy of Achievement 2005). Her broadcasting career started at age 17 when she was taken in by WVOL radio in Nashville and two years later signed in as a reporter and anchor at WTVF-TV. Then she joined WJZ-TV in Baltimore in 1976. Two years later, her talent for hosting talk shows was discovered when she became a co-host of WJZ-TV's program, "People Are Talking," while she continued to work as anchor and news reporter. Her stunning career took a leap when she went to Chicago to host WLS-TV's "AM Chicago," then a failing local talk show. In less than a year, Oprah changed "AM Chicago" into the hottest show in the area. The show extended to an hour and, in September 1985, was renamed into "the Oprah Winfrey Show." It became a nationally viewed show starting September 8, 1986 and the number one talk show in syndication in less than a year.
"The Oprah Winfrey Show" received three Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Host, Outstanding Talk/Service Program and Outstanding Direction in June 1987, the first year the show became eligible (Academy of Achievement 2005). Oprah's show received the second and consecutive Daytime Emmy Award as Outstanding Talk/Service Program in June 1988. She was also named the Broadcaster of the Year by the International Radio and Television Society, the youngest and only the fifth woman to receive the award in the Society's 25 years of history. Oprah first grabbed national attention to herself in her sharp performance in Steven Spielberg's film adaptation of Alice Walker's novel, "The Color Purple" in 1985, for which she won nominations for an Oscar and Golden Globe Award as Best Supporting Actress. She was also hailed for her performance in the movie adaptation of Richard Wright's 1940 novel, "Native Son."
Oprah then formed her own production company, HARPO Productions, Inc. In 1986 out of her deep love for acting and desire to produce quality entertainment material (Academy of Achievement 2005, Phila.Gov 2003). It is based in Chicago and includes HARPO Productions, Inc., HARPO Films and HARPO Video, Inc. By October 1988, HARPO Productions had acquired full ownership and production responsibilities for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" from Capitol Cities/ABC. The acquisition made Oprah the first woman in history to own and produce her own talk show. In 1989, HARPO produced a series of television ministries, "The Women of Brewster Place," with Oprah as star and executive producer; TV movies, "There Are No Children Here" in 1993; and "Before Women Had Wings" in 1997. She produced and appeared in both movies. She also performed in the film version of the book, "Beloved," by Nobel Prize winner American author Toni Morrison in 1998.
Leadership and Further Career Successes
Oprah's own memories of childhood abuse led her to campaign for the establishment of a national database of convicted child abusers in 1991 and also testified before a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on behalf of a National Child Protection Act (Academy of Achievement 2005). This Act was signed into law by former President Bill Clinton in 1993 and called it the "Oprah Bill." This database is now available to law enforcement agencies and other interested parties all over the country. She has since then risen to greater fame as one of the 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century by Time Magazine (Phila-Gov 2003). In 1998, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Her awesome success and fame branched out into the publishing industry when she started an on-air book club, the Oprah Book Club (Academy of Achievement 2005, Phila.Gov 2003). The Club's selections became instant bestsellers, for which she was given a gold medal by the National Book Foundation...
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