My immediate family was always very supportive. It was my own fear of the rest of the world not accepting me, the rest of our society not accepting my wish to be an actor.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
I grew up watching foreign programs - American, English, Mexican, and very little Kenyan. 'The Color Purple' was the first time I saw people who looked like me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the importance of representation in media, indicating how seeing oneself in art can empower and inspire.
Lupita Nyong'o's quote reflects her childhood experience of growing up in a media landscape dominated by foreign programs, where she rarely saw characters that resembled her own identity. 'The Color Purple' served as a pivotal moment in her life, as it provided her with a sense of connection and recognition, underscoring the vital role that representation plays in shaping self-identity and cultural visibility.
Themes
RepresentationMediaIdentityArtEmpowerment
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion about diversity in film, this quote can be used to emphasize the need for more varied representations.
More from Lupita Nyong'O
All quotes β[My mother] always said I was beautiful and I finally believed her at some point.
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What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion: for yourself and for those around you.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
That you will feel the validation of your external beauty but also get to the deeper business of being beautiful inside. There is no shade in that beauty.
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As human beings, we aren't as individual as we'd like to believe we are. And I think that's what makes acting possible. Despite the fact that I have not experienced something, I have it in my human capacity to imagine it and to put myself in someone else's shoes, and to take someone else's circumstances personally.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
I've loved the opportunity to learn about the fashion world and appreciate it as an art form, and I look forward to my continued education, but I never want it to take over my acting.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
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