Oprah's School in South Africa???

Question

I'm just curious why black people keep trying to connect with their ancetoral country, Africa after almost 300 years in the U.S.? It'd be like me trying to raise the level of living for the women in Britain just because my parents have English ancestors or building a school for the impoverished Brits because my father's blood line orginated in England 400 years ago. Can someone explain logically why this particular group of AMERICANS-BORN AND RAISED HERE-think they have to save African born people just because of skin colour? If you're not proud to be just American I think you need to live in another country. I din't see Oprah building her new dream home there?

Answer 1

Oprah said that she didn't want to do anything for kids in America because they didnt deserve it and all they want is ipods and shoes, not to learn. what a nice lady.

Answer 2

She can do what she wants with her money, she earned it. And she can say what she wants, it's just her opinion. That being said, I agree with her. In general, Americans tend to think that we ought to have things handed to us. What makes this so funny is that a right to an education IS handed to us on a silver platter. Education in the US is free from pre-K to 12 grade in every state. Yeah, yeah yeah... some schools get better funding than others. Funding of schools is a problem but not one Oprah can fix (she doesn't have that much money/influence). Bill Gates is trying to upgrade our system to make us more globally competitive (being the richest man alive should help open doors). But poor funding is not really an excuse for not learning. My mother grew up in segregated Alabama. She her school books were second hand and had the word "colored" stamped in them because at that time blacks were not allowed to go to white schools or get books from white libraries. However, she was still granted a "Classic" education including learning how to speak German. Even segregation did not stop her from going to school, paying attention in class, doing the assignments, or understanding that an education was a valuable to all people (despite, race, financial/social standing). We don't even have this problem anymore and yet kids (from all races) seem to think education is a joke. Charity only works if the recipient is willing to accept it. The kids in South Africa are willing, we don't seems to be. Oprah may retire from her show but she doesn't strike me as the type to just sit back and chill. I suspect that if she retires, she will probably do more charity work than now. Kind of like Jimmy Carter and Habitat for Humanities. No matter where she lives (and she has houses everywhere) she will be still helping Children.

Answer 3

It is sad that people like you will try to ask questions like this. Your examples show that you lack a grasp of reality. Blacks in Africa need all the help they can get based on the fact that the economic system in their country is not very sound. This is by no means through their own making...colonializm/aparthied just to name a few. Britain has no deprived children so to speak so you can not even start with your suggestion of building a school there. Moreover you have to ask yourself why the blacks in America want to so much identify with Africa? The average African American is discriminated against in his "own country" (America). What has America offered to its black minority but racism and harsh prison sentences? I bet you if Oprah built that school in America, it will be systematically changed to an all white school with time. White people will bring laws that has been dormant in years to try to justify the reason for the need for 85% white enrollment. The reason you posed this question is due to the fact that white people unconsiously assume that good schools/education is their birth right. If Arnold Schwazneger built that school in his home country nobody would say a word. If you treated black people with respect instead of as a step child, they would not be trying to find their roots. Where were you when arpathied was a thing of the day in South Africa, when mostly the white minority got the best education. I did not see your article or that of any of your relations requesting the end of arpathied. Please correct me if I am wrong and show me any article you wrote during that time. If you were nold old enough please show me artilcles written by your relatives. Every one is still talking about the holocoust where 1 million jews lost their lives. What about slavery that took the lives of over 400 million black people. You talk about skin colour? Let it be known to you that a great bond exists between people of the same skin colour. That will be another topic if you want me to elaborate.

Answer 4

Well, Americans aren't really welcoming of Blacks, are they? Black people were also taken from where they wanted to be. None of their ancestors came willingly and many died on the way. There is also a deep feeling of wanting to know where you come from. Maybe you don't understand, but there is still a connection to any person who shares the same ancestral blood. They are still African no matter what. Who cares that 300 years passed? Does America really haver a culture anyway? And when a Black person sees a brother or sister suffering, they want to help them out. Stop being a hater. Oprah has to use her money to help America for it to be okay?

Answer 5

A lot of people have an interest in ancestry. Geneology is a very popular hobby in our country. With many African Americans, geneologies are hard to do because the slave trade interrupted the lives and histories of so many African cultures in a way that makes it very hard to trace ancestries. So if Oprah goes to a place where she has respect for a great African leader like Mandela, and does something worthwhile there, that seems very understandable.

As others have said, it's her money and she can do whatever she wants with it. I do wonder, though, whether doing a lot for a few (eventually 450 girls will be enrolled in this school, and a few hundred boys and girls in her second school) will end up being the most useful way to raise the level of opportunity in the area where the schools are. Only time will tell, but I wonder if doing something for a lot of kids would have been the more useful way to go. I'm very impressed with the loan system developed by the recent Nobel Prize winner whose banks give loans averaging 130.00 to lots of people. So many people are changing their lives with these small loans. I think it's wonderful that Oprah is providing the means for a few hundred children to completely change their lives, but I wonder if some change for more kids would be even better.

Answer 6

I think Oprah opening and starting a school in South Africa for young women is by far the best move she has ever made in her life. It is about time that someone in this world is courageous enough to give all the women in the world a chance to make something of themselves, especially in the 21st Century. It does make you proud to be a woman and an American. Keep up the excellent work, Oprah!!!!!

Answer 7

The question I posed, was why Is There conflict about Oprah setting up a school there? I strongly disagree that she set up an educational facility there, just because she is Black, but the reality is people of all colors try to help out Africa. White Rock stars, Rappers, other rich folk all try to help Africa because in case you haven't noticed Africa is being ravaged by Aids and other diseases and instead of making it racial, its an economical factor.

Answer 8

She is not helping them because of their skin color, but because they are some of the poorest people in the world.
She sees herself in many of these young girls, and she feels they deserve a chance, and is willing to foot the bill to give them one.

But here is a tip for you: Before making yourself look a complete rear end by asking a stupid, racist question...do a little research, learn a little bit about the country of Africa and the plight of the people before coming to unreasonable conclusions.

Answer 9

She just wants attention. She never wanted her own kids like Angelina and Madonna so she's opening a school instead. Why now, when she's been around for years? She's worth billions so she can afford to look generous. I'm sick of everyone thinking Oprah walks on water.

Answer 10

I wondered how far that 10 million, she spent in Africa would have gone for the children of the Southern States from Katrina or the children of Appalachia. I've know for facts that some children of our own Appalachian States don't know what shoes are, what it is to go as far as the eighth grade in school. Children who eat once a day and are considered lucky.
There's so much poverty right here in my home town that it's impossible to believe it could be happening in the U.S. but, it is. Go ahead Oprah, we supported your shows, your way of life, we're the ones that made you what you are today. It's the American public that has made Oprah famous, otherwise she would be nothing more than another black woman. Now that we've made you famous run with your money to Africa and spend it on these people that will never see where it came from.Oprah is nothing more than another immigrant that took her paycheck and run home to another Country to spend it while those that made her famous are suffering.