Oprah
10x10in
2025
Oprah Gail Winfrey was born January 29, 1954, on a farm near Kosciusko, Mississippi, in rural Attala County. Raised by her grandmother, Hattie Mae Lee, in deep poverty on that farm, Oprah often wore potato-sack dresses and learned to read before age three, reading the Bible to the congregation where she earned the nickname “The Preacher”
At age six, she moved to Milwaukee; later, she spent time in Nashville before launching her career in broadcasting. However, her Mississippi beginnings remained central to her identity—and later, her charitable work.
Her rise from rural Mississippi to media mogul and philanthropist is legendary: first Black female billionaire, host of The Oprah Winfrey Show, founder of OWN and O Magazine, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and philanthropist supporting education, healthcare, and youth—with strong ties maintained to her Mississippi beginnings
Oprah’s journey—from the red-dirt roads of Kosciusko to global influence—captures the enduring spirit of Mississippi resilience and generosity.