Lupita Nyong'o

As a black female, I have always struggled with how I look and the way I feel about myself. But nothing captures those feeling quite like the way Lupita put it in this speech. I'm considered "light skinned" in the black community, and still I felt ugly and inadequate because I wasn't light enough. It took me a long time to figure out just how beautiful I was, but when I finally did, life was good.

You have to take pride in who you are and the features you were blessed with at birth. Be proud to be you mother, your father, your grandparents, aunts, and uncles. Those that came before you help shape and mold you, and that is a precious thing. I've grown to love my skin and accept everything that comes with it. It took me a while, and there are still times where I really wish I was lighter, just to make life easier, but I thank God every day for what I have.

Kiss, Kiss.
-A