Hollywood star Lupita Nyong'o announced on Wednesday that her long-awaited children's book, Sulwe, is ready for release. Lupita made the announcement on Twitter and Instagram, where she said the book tackles colourism and is a love letter to her younger self and black children worldwide.
In a lengthy post, Lupita said growing up, she never saw girls and women like her represented in the books she read. Instead, she was given a glimpse into the lives of people who looked nothing like her. Because of this, she yearned for a role model, a black role model.
“As a little girl reading, I had all of these windows to the lives of people who looked nothing like me, chances to look into their worlds, but I didn't have any mirrors. While windows help us develop empathy and understanding of the wider world, mirrors help us to develop our sense of self.
“Colourism, society's preference for lighter skin is alive and well. It is not just a prejudice reserved for places with a largely white population. Throughout the world, even in Kenya, even today, there is a popular sentiment that lighter is brighter.”
Sulwe will be released on October 15.
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