- The only thing in Oprah's life that still makes her cry to this day is the "recognition of moving to Milwaukee" to live with her mother after being raised by her grandmother. "My mother was a boarder in this middle-class, very light-skinned, could pass for white woman's house," Oprah said. "The first moment I walked in, instantly, I knew that [the woman] did not like me because of the color of my skin, and that very first night, she wouldn't let me come in the house. There was a little porch foyer that was exposed to the street, and I had to sleep out there on a sofa." When her mother didn't stand up for her, Oprah knew she was "alone."
- Oprah was raped at ages 9, 10, 11, and 12 by an older cousin. "I didn't know what rape was — I certainly wasn't aware of the word. I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from. I didn't even know what was happening to me, and I kept that secret," Oprah recalled. "It's just something I accepted, that a girl-child isn't safe in a world full of men."
If you or someone you know would like to speak with someone who is trained to assist sexual assault survivors, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673.
