- In a new interview, Lupita Nyong’o has urged people to not become "complacent" about Black Lives Matter.
- Discussing her desire to speak out about the movement, Nyong'o said, "I’m a member of that society and what is happening, it’s personal."
- The actress is narrating Discovery's nature documentary series Serengeti, and if she receives an Emmy nomination in the outstanding narration category for her work, she will be the third Black woman to do so.
Lupita Nyong'o is speaking out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement because she's "taking it personally."
In a new interview with Variety, the actress revealed that she felt compelled to speak up, "Because I’m a member of that community. I’m a member of that society and what is happening, it’s personal. I’m taking it personally. There’s no other way to take it."
Nyong’o also addressed her place in the current movement and told the publication, "This is a time of deep learning for me, too, as an immigrant in this country, of trying to figure out how is this the world we’re living in? There’s just so much to unpack, there’s so much to learn, and there’s so much to need to be awake to. Because it’s when people fall asleep that these things happen—when we grow complacent." The Us star spoke about "the killing of George Floyd in front of our eyes," and the way in which the tragedy has "shaken us all awake and now we are alert."
Nyong'o also discussed her forthcoming project, nature documentary Serengeti, with Variety. The publication noted that Nyong'o's work "is eligible for a nomination in the outstanding narration category at the 2020 Emmy Awards. And if she gets a nod, she’ll join Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg as the only Black women to be nominated in the category to date."
The performer was drawn to the project as Black women are rarely given the opportunity to narrate nature documentaries. Nyong'o said, "I hadn’t really heard of a nature documentary narrated by a woman. And I certainly had never heard of a nature documentary narrated by an African woman."
Amy Mackelden is a freelance writer, editor, and disability activist. Her bylines include Harper's BAZAAR, Nicki Swift, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, ELLE, The Independent, Bustle, Healthline, and HelloGiggles. She co-edited The Emma Press Anthology of Illness, and previously spent all of her money on Kylie Cosmetics.
