Oprah Winfrey has topped Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful celebrities, second time in a row. She has touched many lives on her 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'. The richest African American of the 20th century, Oprah has a huge fan base.

At long last, Dr Martin Luther King junior can rest in peace - his great dream for America has come true. King had said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.”


This is the amazing story of a young girl from Mississippi, born to a poor unwed teenager mother, raised in a broken home, subjected to repeated sexual abuse from family members (she was raped at the age of nine) and having given birth at 14 to a son who died soon afterwards, Oprah studied hard and in due course won a scholarship to Tennessee State University.

At 19, she became an anchor of Nashville’s WTVF-TV station and is the first female African-American news anchor in Nashville. At 29, she took over a low-rated half-hour morning talk-show, AM Chicago and within months it became the top-rated show. Subsequently, AM Chicago was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. History was created and there was no looking back for Oprah ever since. In a field dominated by white males, she was a black woman of ample bulk. But she made it up by her genuine, frank apathy, hearty humour and above all understanding, sympathy and compassion perfectly attuned to her audience.


Oprah popularised and revolutionised talk shows by doing shows on physical and mental ailments in women, spirituality and meditation, gift-giving and home decorating shows, make-up makeovers etc. She introduced an intimate confessional form of media communication, guests with sad stories brought tears to Oprah’s eyes and they, in turn, revealed things they would not imagine telling anyone, much less a national TV audience. It is a talk show with group therapy session. She also brought in taboo topics of those times like gays, transsexuals, and trans-gender people and interviewed celebrities on issues that directly involved them. She gives credit to her team as well that works backstage, by making them appear on her shows and highlighting their work.


At a show in 2004, she gave away to each member of the audience a new G6 sedan, the 276 cars were donated by Pontiac as part of a publicity stunt. On another show, she highlighted her Yo-Yo Dieting by wheeling in 67 lbs of animal fat on to the stage, illustrating the weight she lost in five months on a commercial liquid diet.


Oprah is also an influential book critic. Every book making it to her show is a sure seller, likewise any author appearing on her show becomes a celebrity and his/her book(s) – best-sellers. She owns a very popular magazine ’O, the Oprah Magazine’ and a women’s cable television network – Oxygen. Moreover, she is the president of Harpo Productions (Oprah spelled backwards).


Oprah wields so much influence that an unknown Obama’s fortunes changed when she endorsed him. But, of course the majority of her white middle-aged women audience who supported Hillary Clinton accused her of betraying her sex.


Oprah, aged 54, has been ranked the richest African American of the 20th century, the most philanthropic African American of all time, and the world’s only black billionaire for three straight years. Likewise, she is also the first African-American celebrity to land on the cover of Vogue in the October 1998 issue.


Oprah is a source of strength and inspiration for millions of her admirers. Her life and her work are testaments to the enormity of her generous heart. She has touched many lives and hearts by her compassion, sympathy and understanding. She has struggled with challenges and managed to transform her life, hence, without doubt she is indeed the most influential and powerful woman in the world. Her message is clear and empowering – I did it, and so can you!