I’ve never watched the Oscars before. Oh, I’ve tuned in for a few minutes, or skipped through on my way to something else or maybe even looked for Billy Crystal telling jokes, but I’ve never watched the Oscars on purpose. And what a night — Lupita Nyong’o’s night!
My Twitter and Facebook friends had alerted me to this spectacular young woman earlier. If you haven’t read her moves-you-to-tears acceptance speech for Essence’s Black Women in Hollywood award, go and do it now.
No? If you didn’t click on over there, read this paragraph — and then go read the whole speech:
“I want to take this opportunity to talk about beauty. Black beauty. Dark beauty. I received a letter from a girl and I’d like to share just a small part of it with you: ‘Dear Lupita,’ it reads, ‘I think you’re really lucky to be this Black but yet this successful in Hollywood overnight. I was just about to buy Dencia’s Whitenicious cream to lighten my skin when you appeared on the world map and saved me.’ My heart bled a little when I read those words.”
It’s a night of amazing women — Ellen Degeneres hosting the show; His Eye is on the Sparrow as the acceptance speech of 20 Feet from Stardom; Sally Fields, my hero since Norma Rae, and an activist off-screen as well as on; Cheryl Boon Isaacs, first African American woman to head the Academy; Whoopi Goldberg in magic ruby slippers — so many wonderful women.
But most of all, Lupita Nyong’o:
“It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is due to so much pain in someone else’s.”
“Thank you for putting me in this position; it has been the joy of my life … I’m certain that the dead are standing around you and saluting you.”
“When I look down at this little statue, may it remind me and every other child that your dreams are valid.”
(Washington Post has transcript of Lupita Nyong’o Oscar speech here.)
Mary Turck
News Day 