Hope and Change

Terronne Cuthrell – Writer

Lupita Nyong’o, actress from 12 Years a Slave, symbolizes not only hope in the black community, but she also symbolizes change—change in the way that dark people are perceived by others. Presently, she, as a very young, dark woman, is leading in fashion; and that’s powerful. Although America has become more open to the idea of beauty existing in all types, now Nyong’o has been pushing the envelope and speaking directly on the fact that black is indeed beautiful. Additionally, Lupita Nyong’o is truly magnificent, in that she recognizes the duties and responsibilities she plans to fulfill by using her new found fame and we should be taking similar recognition in the duties and responsibly we should uphold at Fayetteville State University! However, before discussing ways to take those duties, it is important to understand why Lupita Nyong’o has and will continue to receive much attention in not only the black community, but the world.

Nyong’o, debuting actress, received several awards for her role as Patsey, a slave raped by her owner, in 12 Years a Slave. Amongst her awards were an Oscar, a Golden Globe award, Essence Best in Black Beauty award, and others. The fact that she received the awards is one thing, but what really made her success stand out were the acceptance speeches Nyong’o delivered— specifically at the Essence Best in Black Beauty Awards.

Nyong’o began by reading a heartfelt letter by a young fan who, just before seeing Nyong’o, was going to buy skin cream to lighten her dark complexion. Seeing Nyong’o, and her beauty, changed the girl’s train of thought and assured her that she didn’t need the cream.

Nyong’o continued to speak on how, as a child, she could relate to the girl; about how she was so desperate to be light she actually, at one point, made deals with God. She battled with her dissatisfaction for a while, until she had a breakthrough in the form of a dark-skinned model that was taking the industry by storm—Alek Wek. “She was dark as night, she was on all the runways and every magazine. And everyone was talking about how beautiful she was. Even Oprah called her beautiful, and that made it a fact!” said Nyong’o with a chuckle.

Before closing, she shared some advice from her mother, “You can’t eat beauty.” Her mother meant that beauty isn’t something that can sustain a person, and give them life. She went on to say that, “What sustains a person… What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and for those around you… There is no shade in that beauty.” At that point, she closed the speech and thanked the audience.

As she closed, each of the attendants of the awards show seemed extremely moved by the speech; shouts, gasps, and applause made that evident. With her speech, Nyong’o strived to make clear that skin tone doesn’t define beauty, the person does.

As this speech circulated, and eventually became viral with over 2.3 million views since Mar. 1, every young girl who battles with their self-image will understand that true beauty comes from within, rather than from external sources. In a world where body modifications and makeovers are so often considered, this message from Lupita Nyong’o is more than necessary and clear: we are all beautiful, but you have to show that beauty from within.

As an HBCU, I believe Nyong’o has called on us to spread her message of hope and change. As black people we know how it feels to be criticized for being darker than others. However, the only way for the message to stick is for us to live out the message Nyong’o gave us. Meaning, myself and other black, young men will need to carry themselves with pride and uphold the appearance of a real man. Young black ladies will need to carry themselves with grace, dignity, and respect. By doing that, we would be starting a powerful movement on our campus and within our community. Not only would we know that black is beauty, but we would be contributing to that fact!