Lupita Nyong’o is definitely having a moment right now.
Not only is she winning the red carpet at every single event she attends, she also picked up Best Breakthrough Performance Award at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood luncheon over the weekend.
She used the opportunity to say some poignant things about beauty, more specifically “black beauty”:
‘I received a letter from a girl and I’d like to share just a small part of it with you: “Dear Lupita,” it reads, “I think you’re really lucky to be this Black but yet this successful in Hollywood overnight. I was just about to buy Dencia’s Whitenicious cream to lighten my skin when you appeared on the world map and saved me.’
She talked about the self-loathing that comes with adolescence, and that it wasn’t until model Alek Wek came to popularity that she begun to change her mind.
‘Even Oprah called her beautiful and that made it a fact. I couldn’t believe that people were embracing a woman who looked so much like me as beautiful. My complexion had always been an obstacle to overcome and all of a sudden, Oprah was telling me it wasn’t. It was perplexing and I wanted to reject it because I had begun to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy. But a flower couldn’t help but bloom inside of me. When I saw Alek I inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that I could not deny.’
She ended the speech by saying she wishes the young woman will soon realise it’s not society’s obsession with external beauty that matters, but what’s on the inside because “there is no shade to that beauty.”
And don’t think her stunning frocks had gone unnoticed. MTV Style have proof she’s worn every single colour of the rainbow, and nailed it every time.
From MTV Style:
BTW, Lupita: Crayola called. They actually DON’T want their colors back, because they look a zillion times better on you than in some musty cardboard box.
Top Comments
"...I wanted to reject it because I had begun to enjoy the seduction of inadequacy". Wow. Am so impressed with that quote.
She's beautiful. I don't get why so many African (and Indian) women go down the skin whitening path. But then again look at all the white people going off to get their spray tans. Goes both ways I guess, but I think skin whitening is a lot more damaging than a spray tan.
I am Indian and on the 'darker' side... For years I was told being dark is not beautiful.. not just by the media, but also extended family, friends etc.. (never ever by my parents though). My cousin, who is a lot fairer, and I were always compared just on our skin colour. My mum has fair skin, while my dad has dark skin.. the usual comments that I get from people I meet - oh, such a shame she has taken after her dad's skin colour. When you are constantly made to feel like you are not pretty/beautiful, you will do anything to feel that. I must confess that I used skin lightening creams, thankfully not for long.
It wasn't until I moved to Australia that I have become more comfortable with my skin colour. I get these comments even now when I go back and they still hurt, but not as much as they used to.
Well there's my answer right there. Thank you for replying and I'm sorry that that's been your reality. I'm glad that you feel more comfortable within your own skin now.
Spice 'n' Nice, I am sorry to hear you went through that, I hope as you get older you get happier and happier with yourself as you are.