Oprah Winfrey (1954- ) Raised on a Mississippi farm with no indoor plumbing, Oprah Winfrey has become arguably the most infl uential person on American television and one of the richest women in the world. At 19, she was Nashville, Tennessee’s fi rst female and fi rst black television news anchor. In 1988, her talk show in Chicago went on to national television and her popularity has skyrocketed since then around the world. She is also a successful producer and magazine publisher.

 

Yo-Yo Ma (1955- ) The Chinese-American cellist began his music lessons at the age of four in Paris, before moving to New York City. He has performed around the globe, making more than 50 albums and winning 15 Grammy Awards from the U.S. recording industry. Considered one of the finest soloists today, Ma’s eclectic repertoire ranges from Bach’s Cello Suites to Argentine tango to his recent Silk Road Project, an effort to illuminate the cross-cultural diffusion of art along the ancient trade route through central Asia.