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f all the moments in the farewell spectacular to her show last year, Oprah Winfrey called the Morehouse segment “my all-time favorite moment of all time.” For the 300 Morehouse Men who streamed down the aisles of Chicago’s United Center—each bearing a lit candle in tribute to the woman who made their dreams of a college education possible—the experience was unforgettable. “It was amazing to me that Oprah cared enough about me as an individual, someone she didn’t know, to help me get through school and accomplish my dreams, and it was absolutely amazing that I had the chance to meet her in person and tell her thank you,” said Van Adamson ’01, who is now a cardiologist and major in the U.S. Air Force. “To be in Chicago and honor this great woman who performed this great act of generosity toward us, it was absolutely amazing—it was indescribable,” said Rob Eskridge ’02, an Ohio assistant attorney general who graduated with a degree in sociology and mathematics. After his first year at Morehouse, Eskridge
ran out of funds and was on the verge of leaving school. The school’s financial aid director, who recognized his drive and determination, handed him a letter. “And I looked at the letter and it said I was awarded a scholarship, paid for retroactive. It took care of loans taken out my first year, paid for by Oprah Winfrey,” Eskridge said. “[It said] that I was an Oprah Winfrey Scholar, and it blew my mind.” The Oprah Scholars decided to honor Oprah’s legacy of giving by paying it forward. The newly christened Sons of Oprah pledged to raise $300,000 in scholarship funds. By July 2011, the scholars had raised $350,000 for the Oprah Winfrey Endowed Scholarship Fund—$50,000 above their goal. Winfrey is currently the College’s top donor, having given a total of $12 million since she instituted the fund in 1989. She has educated 415 Morehouse Men, a number that surprised her. “I didn’t know I had educated that many Morehouse Men. When people talk about it, I always say, ‘I have one hundred men at Morehouse,’” she said, reflecting on the farewell spectacular in Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes that aired on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network). >
When you empower a black man...
“
You light up the world. ” -Oprah Winfrey
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MOREHOUSE MAGAZINE