Childhood
Early yearsOprah was born to unmarried parents Vernita Lee and Vernon Winfrey on January 29, 1954 in Kosciusko, Mississippi. At the time she was born, Vernon was in the army and serving overseas; Vernita was an 18 year old housemaid. Oprah lived with her grandmother on their family farm until she reached the age of six. By that time, Vernita eventually thought she could handle the responsibilities of raising Oprah. So at the age of six, Oprah moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to live with her mother.
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Teenage YearsThe move was just the start of a terrible childhood. At age nine, Oprah was raped by her uncle and molested by her mother’s friend. The abuse caused her to run away, which led to more childhood trouble. At age 13, she moved back to the South to live with her father in Nashville, Tennessee. Oprah became pregnant at age 14, but the baby boy was stillborn.
The birth of her stillborn boy seemed to turn Oprah’s life around. She became an honor student, and was voted the most popular girl at East Nashville High School. Her success out of school also grew when she was named Miss Black Tennessee at age 17. |