Oprah Winfrey may not be comfortable with younger generations referring to her as “auntie,” but is there even a term of endearment fitting enough to describe what her entire professional career and overall impact means to the culture? As the first Black female billionaire, Oprah continues to inspire people around the world through philanthropic work and encouraging others to live authentically, abundantly, and with purpose. Over the weekend, Ms. Winfrey was the keynote speaker at the 17th annual Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon in Charlotte, North Carolina. The United Negro College Fund held the fundraising event with hopes of using the proceeds to award scholarships to local students attending HBCUs. After asking the audience how much they already raised, Winfrey offered to match the $1.15 million donations bringing the total amount to $2.3 million.
The generous donation came as a surprise to the audience, who all gave Ms. Winfrey a standing ovation for the contribution. As a billionaire, Oprah brings much more to the table than money as she often leaves audiences inspired by her words of wisdom and encouragement. At the event, Oprah stated, “I believe in the power of education…there is nothing better than to open the door for someone.” In her speech, she went on to offer advice about leadership saying, “The first rule of leadership is to put yourself first on the list,” she said. “..You cannot give what you do not have. That’s not selfish; it’s ‘self-full.’
If you are looking for an opportunity to soak up wisdom from the one and only Oprah Winfrey, she announced plans to launch a nine-city wellness event tour starting in January, “Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life In Focus”. It’s great to see such successful people as Oprah and fellow billionaire Robert Smith using their money and influence to help students.
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