winfrey was born in rural Mississippi into an extremely poor family. Her mother was a maid,and her father was a barber. Winfrey lived in such poverty that she wore dresses made out of potato sacks. Winfrey was a talkative girl who would often pretend to interview her dolls. She excelled in school and won a coollege scholarship. When she graduated, Winfrey got a jop reporting the news at a local radio station.