Lupita fits into white America’s stereotype of black actresses

I was joyously delirious when Mexican-Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o, the daughter of Senator Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o and business executive Dorothy Nyong’o, scooped the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the gripping historical drama 12 Years a Slave.

I texted Senator Nyong’o my hearty congratulations on the incredible feat of his daughter. We exchanged several messages, both of us awed by the moment. America and the world were entranced by Ms Nyong’o, the erudite, scholarly, and seductively beautiful diva. Everyone knew that a new magnetic film star had been born. Elegant and graceful, Ms Nyong’o has since been the talk of the celebrity world. But as we celebrate Ms Nyong’o, let’s complexify and interrogate her sudden rise to stardom.