Oprah Gail Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born January 29, 1954 on the family farm in Kosciusko, Mississippi. Her dad, Vermon Winfrey, who was stationed as a solider at a local base; and her mother, Vernita Lee, were both young at the time of Oprah's birth. Her parents never married. Shortly after she was born her mother found a job, as a maid, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Oprah was left in the care of her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee.

As a child Oprah never wasted a minute of her young imaginative mind on something that seemed to be boring. Through her early years her only friends were the farm animals. She gave them parts in the plays she made and included them in games. On Sundays Oprah would dress up in her best clothes and go to the Buffalo United Methodist Church, with her grandmother . The church was a very important part of her life, as she grew up.

It was at this church that Oprah first spoke in public. Her first recital was at Easter time when she was three. From that day on, she was always the first child to be asked to recite. She recited verses and poems at churches in the Nashville area. Oprah recalls that the other women in the church would say, "Hattie Mae, that child is gifted." At age four the whole town knew that she was gifted. She became known as "the little speaker."

Oprah enjoyed bringing her recitals to life. Once she was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she answered without hesitation, "I want to be paid to talk." At home Oprah was forbidden to talk around adults. Oprah found it hard to understand this, because everyone wanted to hear her talk. She was so talkative and lively all the time. When she disobeyed, Oprah would be whipped. Oprah remembers that she'd whip her dolls the same way her grandmother whipped her.

Hattie Mae read to Oprah and taught her how to recognize letters and sounds. At three Oprah could read. She also learned how to write. On the first day of kindergarten she wrote, "Dear Miss New, I do not think I belong her." She was moved to the first grade, and at the end of the year she was skipped to the third grade.

At age six Oprah was sent to live with her mother in Milwaukee. They lived in one room of another woman's house. Her mother worked long, tiring hours and Oprah was left with her cousins, and neighbors. At night Oprah's mother was too tired to pay attention to her. Oprah didn't understand this. It was then that she began to disobey and talk back to her mother. Her mother knew Oprah was unhappy, and she was sent to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Her father was now married to Zelma, Oprah's stepmother.

Oprah knew that she had to obey her father and stepmother. While living in Nashville Oprah was forced to do pages of addition and subtraction questions each day. On Sundays she went to church, where she attended Sunday School and did recitals. One day, Oprah's mother called and told her that she was pregnant. She wanted Oprah to come back and live with her in a house, not a room. So Oprah went back to live with her mother in Milwaukee.

In Milwaukee Oprah lived with her mother and half sister. While Oprah's mother worked long, hard hours, Oprah entertained her little sister. Two years later her mother had a baby boy. Oprah had a stepbrother. It was then that Oprah was saddened, she felt that her mother didn't give her as much attention as the other children. Oprah fought with her stepbrother and sister. She began telling lies to get what she wanted. It didn't work though. This was when Oprah began to attempt running away. Oprah thought that things could never get worse.

When Oprah was nine a nineteen year old, male, cousin, who was babysitting her, took advantage of her by sexually abusing her. Oprah was terrified and never told a sole. He took her to the zoo, and gave her ice cream so that she'd swear to silence. From then until the day that Oprah left Milwaukee she was raped by her cousin, a family friend, her mom's live in boyfriend, and a once favorite uncle. All four told her that if she ever told, they'd both be in a lot of trouble. Oprah became more of a problem, and her mother didn't know what to do with her anymore. At fourteen her mother looked into sending her to a girls home, but all the beds were full. Then her father called, and it was decided that she'd go back to Nashville.

Oprah knew that in Nashville she had to obey her father and stepmother, and that she could not be a problem any longer. She was given new clothes, a set of rules, a twelve o'clock curfew, and some tasks; she had to read and do a book report on a book each week, as well as memorize five new words each day. If she hadn't done her tasks she would not be given any food. Oprah had good study