Lupita Nyong’o

In celebration of Africa Day on the 25th May, this week MCA are highlighting the achievements of inspiring young Africans who are having a global impact in their field:

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Creative Arts

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When Kenyan Lupita Nyong’o won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2014 for her performance in 12 Years a Slave, it wasn’t just a star being born. It also inspired a movement of self-love and of celebrating being unique.

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Dark with natural hair that she doesn’t process or wear a weave over, Nyong’o spoke passionately about beauty, in particular, being very dark and not rejecting yourself over it.  Nyong’o has been using her voice and the global stages that she occupies to promote beauty ideals that are inclusive.

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“You can't rely on how you look to sustain you, what sustains us, what is fundamentally beautiful is compassion; for yourself and for those around you.”

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Nyong’o made her debut as an author in 2019 with her children’s book Sulwe — about a 5-year-old Kenyan girl who has the darkest complexion in her family.  Based on her own childhood experiences, it became a New York times best seller.