Lupita inspires children in ‘Sulwe’, opens up on her struggle with skin complexion

Lupita Nyong'o

• Lupita Nyong’o struggled with her complexion and self-image as a child
• she remembers becoming more aware of herself in grade school and caring about the opinions of others
• She changed her mind when she when she saw South Sudanese British model Alek Wek become successful.

Lupita Nyong’o, the Academy Award-winning actress and voice of Maz Kanata in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” will publish her debut children’s book “Sulwe” with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers next January.

“Sulwe,” which means “star” in Ms. Nyong’o’s native language, Luo, is the story of a 5-year-old girl growing up in Kenya. In the book, Sulwe has the darkest skin color in her family, a fact that makes her uncomfortable and determined to find a way to lighten her skin.