Historically speaking, a woman's hair is often referred to as her crowning glory, but the same cannot be said for those of African descent.
Covering the fall issue of Porter magazine, Lupita Nyong'o addresses the adversities she has faced with her natural hair.
"My hair is something that, historically, has been shunned,” she explained. “How often do you hear, ‘You can’t get a job with hair like that?’”
Due to that fact that “natural, African, kinky hair – [has] often been painted as uncivilized or wild.” The Oscar award winner understands what it means to be the cover model. “It is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children that they are beautiful just the way they are.”
As a result, the 35-year-old actress has decided to ink her own children's book, "Sulwe." A story of a little girl who comes to accept her dark complexion in a world that idolizes traditional Western standards of beauty. Nyong'o said, "I wanted to get to kids before they reach an age where the world is telling them they are not as valuable."
"Sulwe" will be available next year.
PHOTO: Getty Images