Celebrated Kenyan-Mexican actress and Oscar award winner Lupita Nyong’o has lashed out at a UK magazine for ostensibly editing her picture to give her a European look.
UK’s Grazia Daily according to Lupita intentionally edited her skin tone and her long curly hair to give her a “Eurocentric” look.
She called out the magazine on her twitter page expressing distaste with the act.
“Disappointed that @GraziaUK edited out & smoothed my hair to fit a more Eurocentric notion of what beautiful hair looks like,” read the tweet which was accompanied by attachment of three photo ones showing her in short hair while the other shows her long and curly hair.
She was categorical that had the magazine reached out to her seeking permission to edit her image, she could not have supported or “condone the omission of what is my native heritage with the intention that they appreciate that there is still a very long way to go to combat the unconscious prejudice against black women’s complexion, hair style and texture.”
On Instagram she lamented: “As I have made clear so often in the past with every fibre of my being, I embrace my natural heritage and despite having grown up thinking light skin and straight, silky hair were the standards of beauty, I now know that my dark skin and kinky, coily hair are beautiful too,” charged Lupita.
“Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfill me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are. I am disappointed that @graziauk invited me to be on “their cover and then edited out and smoothed my hair to fit their notion of what beautiful hair looks like.”
She was categorical that she uses make-up to as an accessory but not to hide her skin tone.
“For me, make-up is not a necessity. Make-up is not a mask, it’s an adornment, an accessory.”
She added beauty is diverse and she feels equally beautiful in her dark skin tone and kinky hair.
“There’s room in this world for beauty to be diverse,” said Lupita.