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Beyond media, Winfrey’s philanthropic efforts have been vast and targeted toward the empowerment of women and children. The opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa stands as a physical manifestation of her commitment to education as a ladder out of poverty—a mirror to the opportunities Vernon Winfrey once provided for her. Her wealth, which eventually made her the world’s first Black female billionaire, has been consistently funneled back into initiatives that address the very issues she faced as a child: education, safety, and empowerment for the marginalized.
