Oprah Winfrey’s 72nd birthday arrived with flowers, praise, and reflection—but it also reopened conversations from her school many would rather keep closed.
Born in 1954, Oprah Winfrey built one of the most influential media empires in modern history. From daytime television to film, publishing, and philanthropy, her rise has long symbolized possibility, especially for Black women. On January 29, tributes poured in from global institutions and cultural leaders alike. UN Women applauded her lifelong advocacy for girls’ education. Reverend Al Sharpton praised her for using her platform to amplify voices.
Yet as often happens with Oprah, admiration shared space with scrutiny.
Online discussions surrounding her birthday quickly turned toward the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, the boarding school she founded in 2007 with a deeply personal mission to educate and empower underserved girls. For many, the academy represents one of her most ambitious philanthropic commitments. For others, it remains a complicated chapter marked by controversy and unresolved feelings.
Shortly after the school opened, allegations surfaced in 2007 involving a dorm matron accused of sexual misconduct. Though the staff member was acquitted in 2010, the incident cast a long shadow. Additional events followed over the years, including a 2011 investigation into a deceased newborn on campus and student suspensions reported in 2020. Oprah Winfrey responded publicly by restructuring leadership, reinforcing safeguarding policies, and reiterating accountability, but the internet has never fully let the story rest.
Some surfaced reactions reflected deep skepticism. Others were personal and emotional, sharing secondhand stories and unanswered questions. At the same time, defenders pushed back, noting that more than 400 academy graduates have gone on to attend top universities and build careers in education, business, and public service.
The truth, as with many institutions involving young people, sits in a tense middle space. Schools are ecosystems. They can be transformative and flawed at the same time. They can hold success stories alongside pain. And no amount of money or intention makes them immune to human failure.
While the debates played out online, Oprah herself marked her birthday in a very different way.
Instead of issuing a statement or revisiting the past, she posted a gym video. The clip showed her deadlifting, moving with confidence, dressed simply, laughing afterward as she admitted she once didn’t even know what the exercise was.
At 72, Oprah Winfrey appeared grounded in her body and present in herself, not defensive, not performative.
