much love to lupita nyong’o for being named the most beautiful person of 2014 by people magazine. this is the first time a dark-skinned black woman has graced the cover of people’s annual 50 most beautiful people issue, and only the fourth that a woman of color has been given the honor (halle berry, beyonce and jennifer lopez). seeing her on the cover reminds me of her words at the essence black women in hollywood event:
“…i hope my presence on your screens and in magazines may lead you, young girl, on a similar journey: 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 to that beauty.”
people magazine connected lupita with alek wek, the model who lupita says changed her thoughts about how being “nigh shaded” is beautiful. the actress stated, “when i saw alek, i inadvertently saw a reflection of myself that i could not deny.” watch the video of their discussion below:
