Throughout Lupita Nyong’o’s blossoming career, the Kenyan-mexicana actress has been vocal about discrimination against dark-skinned women and learning to love her complexion. By doing so, she has inspired countless black women to see beauty in skin society had always told them was inferior. Now, Nyong’o wants to combat the problem before the years of self-hate. According to the New York Times, the “Black Panther” star is writing a children’s book about colorism and self-love.
Nyong’o, 34, will write “Sulwe,” which means “star” in Luo, Nyong’o’s native language, for Simon & Schuster Books for young readers.
The picture book, targeting kids between the ages of 5 and 7, is about a 5-year-old girl growing up in Kenya struggling as the darkest-skinned person in her family.
“Sulwe is a dark skinned girl who goes on a starry-eyed adventure, and awakens with a reimagined sense of beauty,” Nyong’o wrote in a post announcing the book on Instagram.
“She encounters lessons that we learn as children and spend our lives unlearning.” She continued: “This is a story for little ones, but no matter the age I hope it serves as an inspiration for everyone to walk with joy in their own skin.”
The actress has previously expressed interest in reaching younger girls. After her viral 2014 speech about her struggle with her skin tone at the essence 7th Annual Black Women in Hollywood event, she told the New York Times that she “felt really grateful that it had this impact,” but “the age group that really needed to hear this wouldn’t necessarily hear the speech.”
Now Nyong’o will be speaking directly to the kiddies. “Sulwe” is slated to publish in January 2019.
