Oprah Winfrey recently built a $40 million Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy located on a 50-acre site just outside the city of Johannesburg, South Africa.
The school is a manifestation of Oprah’s dream to do something for those less fortunate. It is a response to former South African President Nelson Mandela’s appeal for education – what he felt was a pressing need in his country. Oprah’s solution provides young African females an opportunity for scholarly success in a productive and accelerating environment that once seemed unreachable.
Despite Oprah’s admirable efforts, her humanitarian achievements have endured the snarling skepticism of some. Many Americans have questioned why Oprah’s not spending the money in the United States. One female critic accused Oprah of not being responsible to America, the country in which she grew up and took advantage of its privileges.
Since when has paying homage to the native land of one’s descendants been considered kicking sand in America’s face? South Africa is an underprivileged country that is a nesting ground for improvement, unlike America, which despite many of our current problems with the Sept. 11 and Katrina aftermath, still can afford to provide an education to every single American child.
For so many critics to bash the good deeds and charitable efforts of one of America’s most instrumental humanitarians is disturbing. It almost seems that these people failed to realize the whole importance of her accomplishment.
Oprah’s money is Oprah’s money. Unless she is taking our personal donations and spending them where we would rather she not, it is out of place to dictate what she should do with her own money.
Americans should be more concerned with how the government spends money, since most of its budget comes from our wallets.
The efforts to insult Oprah’s charity would be better used toward fighting for lower gas prices, tax inflation and tuition increases.
My advice to such critics: Put your money where your mouth is, and if you do not have $40 million like Oprah, then just put your hand over your mouth and be quiet until you do.