By Monique
I can’t have a WOC Wednesday post without Lupita Nyong’o being on the list.
Nyong’o has repped not just WOC actresses and black actresses, but black actresses who are also “of a particular shade,” as I feel Hollywood likes to call them. The short of it is that she’s showing the world that dark-skinned actresses (and dark-skinned women in general) can be 1) taken seriously, 2) are beautiful and 3) are viable in the world of Hollywood.
Of course, there can be discussion about the color politics of America (and the world, I suppose), such as the argument of Americans being surprised by Nyong’o’s beauty simply because she’s a dark-skinned woman, but I’d like to think that the majority of Americans are viewing her rise to stardom and It Girl status as a positive thing in our society, what with her role in Star Wars: Episode VI- The Force Awakens. She’s also starring alongside David Oyelowo in Americanah and Disney’s Queen of Katwe. Hopefully, this means that more dark-skinned actresses will be given their just due by Hollywood thanks to Nyong’o’s success.
What do you think of Nyong’o? Give your opinions in the comments section below.
Photo credit: Bryan Crowe / ©A.M.P.A.S.
