Oprah Winfrey and The Color Purple

[By Kenton Rambsy]

Since her debut acting role in the 1985 Steven Spielberg directed film, based on Alice Walker’s 1983 novel, Oprah Winfrey’s involvement movie adaption of novels has been active. She has served as both an actress and producer. Similar to her involvement with Morrison’s works, Winfrey’s has demonstrated an extended connection to The Color Purple.

Oprah’s Book Club and Toni Morrison

[By Kenton Rambsy]

“Oprah’s Book Club” contributed greatly to helping well-known and lesser-known black writers gain exposure to mainstream reading audiences. Founded in September 1996, Winfrey’s book club ran until December 2010, and several different writers were featured on her talk show to discuss the selected texts. Four of Toni Morrison’s novels were featured as selections in the book club. Morrison’s sales, as a result, increased substantially. More significantly, Morrison’s exposure to wider audiences increased.

Oprah Winfrey: A Sponsor of African American Novelists

[By Kenton Rambsy]

There are many different ways to talk about the growing popularity of African American literature over the years. We can talk about Pulitzer Prize Winners such as Alice Walker (1983) and Edward P. Jones (2004). We could talk about the coverage of works by writers such as Toni Morrison and Colson Whitehead in the New York Times Book Review. We could focus on writers such as Charles Johnson and Ishmael Reed who have received Guggenheim Fellowships.

Timeline: Oprah Winfrey and African-American Literature

[By Kenton Rambsy]

1985 —  Winfrey plays the role of Sofia in the film The Color Purple based on Alice Walker's 1982 novel.

1986 —  Winfrey plays Mrs. Thomas in the remake of the film Native Son based on Richard Wright’s 1940 novel.