Oscar Nominee Lupita Nyong’o has taken Hollywood by storm and in my opinion by complete surprise.  Lupita is either gracing a magazine cover, complete with beautiful layouts, adorning gorgeous designer dresses.  She is winning every award, and deservedly so.  This Yale educated, beautiful and talented actress, is doing for black women, what Alek Wek did back in the early 90’s.  It is beautiful to see a beautiful, chocolate hued woman representing me in Hollywood.  It’s beautiful to see a woman whose hair is as short as mine, representing all black women who have chosen not to go the weave or wig route.

There is nothing wrong if you choose to wear weaves or wigs, but those of us with cropped, short or baldies tend to be shunned and not seen as beautiful.  Luckily I’ve always been very confident, therefore my short hair {sometimes baldie, depending on my mood} does not dictate who I am, though it is part of who I am as a woman.  I’ve just listened to Lupita’s graceful and moving speech on black beauty at the annual Essence Black Women in Hollywood event; for me it was extremely soul-stirring, moving and timely, I felt her speech deep down inside my soul.

Thank you Lupita, for your grace, your elegance and your extraordinary talent.  Thank you for sharing your own personal journey with your skin tone, and letting the world know, that you don’t have to be a light-skinned black woman, with a long flowing weave {or naturally long hair} to make it in this world.

Let’s wish Lupita the very best of luck at tonight’s Academy Awards Ceremony, she deserves every accolade.

Listen to Lupita’s Essence speech here