Does anyone else think its screwy that Oprah gets rich in the USA then opens a school in Africa?

Good point.

Just one person's opinion, here....

But whenever an American school is messed up...a large part of the problem is that the kids (and their parents) just don't give a damn. You've got kids from screwed up family situations (if there's anything they can even call a "family" in the first place)...all the grownups in their neighborhoods (who should be positive role models) are messed up themselves, and blame others (the government, white folks, black folks, Mexicans, Asians, the Jews, etc.) for their problems...and if kids study and try to do well, their peers pick on 'em and tease 'em for "acting white".

(Think about that for a moment...the race that, despite slavery and Jim Crow, produced some of the most brilliant minds and scholars of all time...Benjamin Banneker, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. Dubois...now look down on education and academic achievement as being some kind of "sell out" and not being "truly Black".)

And in every single school in this country, there are SOME kids who do manage to succeed...no matter how poor or inexperienced the teachers, no matter how old the books, no matter how run down the building might be. Every year some do succeed, no matter how wretched the school.

Yeah, if I were Oprah, I think I'd prefer to spend my money on kids who don't have ANY school in the first place.

Considering all of the problems that are going on in Africa today, I have always found it very, very curious how this country doe little to help considering how they subsidize other countries. Bravo to Oprah for drawing attention to the plight of the African education system. Sociologically it has been proven that a better education is the key for anyone to better themselves thus creating a crescendo affect that will reach into the future of the generations to come. Yes it is her money and she can do what she damn well pleases with it. You are too narrow minded and need to set your focus on global concerns and stop being a spoiled me, me, me personality. Sharing what you have is more important than what you have.

I totally understand where you are coming from, but I don't really think it's screwy. See, our schools may be in bad shape here in America, but at least we have schools. There are places in Africa where there are no schools. I think it's great of her to provide the less fortunate children a chance to receive an education. It would be nice if the less fortunate children here could get a better education, as well, but it doesn't necessarily take Oprah to do that. Every year I see school levys fail because people don't vote to improve the funding for supplies, etc. It's like some of us don't want to pay higher taxes, so our schools suffer. At least here in my area.

At first I didn't agree with your feelings in the question. People should want to help children regardless of nationality. Children can't help where they're born, and if some rich lady on TV wants to help African children, go 'head girl.

However, when you brought up the fact that she's recently done shows on how crappy our schools are here, it DOES seem a bit uncool of her to help elsewhere (assuming she's not helping here). Perhaps she's helping schools in the US as well. Perhaps I'm just giving her the benefit of the doubt. Either way, children in Africa are getting a much-deserved education (because everyone deserves one dontchiaknow).

The situation is way worse in Africa than it is American.Little kids are runing in the streets probably joining gangs because their parent are dying,**** like that is happening.They don't get education or enough to eat,they don't have a comfortable family to go home to,there's nothing there but hope and diease and destruction in those countries.What they need is more people like Oprah.

American kid are selffish and ignorant and arrogant.Most of them have always have it easy so they would not know the importance in education.Thats not the case for everyone.

Basically the school are probably way more ****** in Africa than they're here in American.And i am saying this from personally experience.I am 17 in highschool and from what i see.Thats the problem.

Oprah does a LOT of charity stuff here in Chicago. If you are an Oprah fan, you know how proud of her heritage she is; I believe that's why she did that.

Not to mention, the children in AFrica may appreciate it far more than some of the spoiled brats here in America that take all their blessings for granted.

No, I don't.

Americans have the resources to take care of their own school system, Africans don't. America is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and it is shameful that they have allowed their school system to get into the state it has. It is the governments responsibility to take care of educating its citizens. Spend less on military and more on education. Oprah has chosen to use HER money (not America's money) to help a less fortunate nation. Good for her!

If you are a child in America and you don't get a good education, it's pretty much your own fault for not applying yourself. But in Africa, there isn't much opportunity for education. I think it's a great thing, and I'm not an Oprah fan.

She donates a lot to American causes also. Think locally, act globally. The world isn't just our own backyard. In the long run educating people in Africa will help everyone since right now they depend on so much outside help.

No, I think it's wonderful that Oprah is funding a school in Africa.