An issue that can be found in many cultures across the world, Lupita Nyong’o reflects on from her childhood and says that colorism is “alive and well.”
What We Know:
- In a stream of tweets, Nyong’o addressed her younger self and how underrepresented little girls who looked like her were in books and went on to say that “it is not just a prejudice reserved for places with a largely white population” but that it is ever-present around the globe and in Kenya.
As a little girl reading, I had all of these windows into the lives of people who looked nothing like me, chances to look into their worlds, but I didn’t have any mirrors.
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 1, 2019
- This is not the first time that the award-winning actress has spoken out against the issue that is colorism, back in 2014 in an interview with Glamour, she referred to Euro-centric beauty standards as a “plague” on the entire world. “The idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love,” she continued.
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In 2017, Nyong’o criticized Grazia UK for featuring an altered image of her hair on its cover. The actress pointed to a long history of discrimination against Black hair and Black hair textures.
I imagined what it would have been like for her to turn the pages of picture books and see more dark skin in a beautiful light. This book is my dream come true for kids like her today. #Sulwe arrives Oct 15! https://t.co/O04OLLXuzn #BrightnessIsJustWhoYouAre #NationalBookMonth
— Lupita Nyong’o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 1, 2019
Lupita will be adding published author to her list of titles, Sulwe is set to release October 15. She says that the book serves as a mirror for dark-skinned children and a window for others to peer into.
