Hear ye! Hear ye! This land has been blessed by her royal highness, THE Oprah Winfrey. She came, she saw, she cut. In light of Oprah’s visit to Syracuse last week for the S.I. Newhouse School’s ceremonial ribbon cutting of the new Dick Clark Studios, we deem it fitting to recount some of her most esteemed good deeds throughout history.
Stamp of Oprah-val
Anything with the Oprah stamp of approval is as good as gold. Novels endorsed by Oprah’s book club are guaranteed best sellers. Being a guest on her show is the end-all-be-all of good publicity. Having a product mentioned on Oprah’s annual Favorite Things List means selling out within 24 hours. She’s got the magic touch, and Ms. Winfrey will always be #1 on our list of favorite things.
Generosity, Charity, and Compassion
It’s no secret that Oprah is a namesake in the world of charity. Her devotion to helping the less fortunate is astounding. Just some of her life-changing organizations include Oprah’s Angel Network, Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, and the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. She has raised hundreds of millions of dollars to encourage a passion for education, strengthening and empowering thousands of young people around the world. She truly is an inspiration.
Regal Beauty
Can you say ow-O.W.? Oprah has proven that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. Her glowing effervescence lights up any and every room. She has been a trendsetter since the ‘80’s and continues to influence the true meaning of beauty everyday, empowering young women by pushing the importance of inner beauty more so than just having a “face for television”. With that mega-watt smile and warm presence, it’s no wonder she makes the cover of every issue of O Magazine. Honey, if you’ve got it, flaunt it.
Queen of All Trades
Oprah. Does. Everything. She’s an actress, T.V. host, producer, author, performer, educator, reformer, artist, mogul, humanitarian, and modern royalty. The list goes on and on really. I bet she plays the piccolo on roller-skates while baking hot flambé and drawing up architectural blue prints for fun. There’s a reason she needs a Rolodex for her list of achievements and awards.
Building an Empire from the Ground Up
When I say building an empire from the ground up, I mean working her royal highness off every day, even in the bleakest of times. Have you read about her early years? If you think you’re having a rough day because there wasn’t enough whip on your mocha frap, you need to drop your Starbs right now and gain some girl-boss inspiration from the Queen-boss.
In short, she was raised in rural Mississippi by a single teenage mother, was raped and abused as a child, and was criticized constantly as a young woman of color. You know what she did? She produced her OWN production company. (See what I did there?) After bringing low-ratings talk shows to the number-one slot in their region and gaining a large public following, the brassy broadcast talent decided to pave her yellow brick road until she made her own emerald city. It’s no wonder Oprah Winfrey is arguably the most powerful woman in the world.
If the graduates who grace the halls of Newhouse are even half a crown as blessed as this media monarch, we cannot wait to see where life leads them!
#LongLiveOprah #AllHailTheQueen