Popsugar Entertainment Antiracism Lupita Nyong'o Answers Questions About Us and Sulwe Book Lupita Nyong'o Talks About Sulwe, Us, and Being a Dark-Skinned Girl in Twitter AMA 25 October 2019 by Chanel Vargas Image Source: Getty / Raymond Hall Lupita Nyong'o is now a published author thanks to Sulwe, and in a Twitter AMA on Thursday, Nyong'o answered a few important questions about her debut book. She talked about the inspiration behind Sulwe's story and the impact she hopes it has on readers. "When I was growing up, I read books like Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast and Rapunzel and Thumbelina," she said. "There was a lot of pale skin, blond hair, and that sort of thing, and I felt like things like dark skin weren't included. So that's why I wrote a book like Sulwe, because I wanted dark skin to exist in a world of magic." Nyong'o went on to talk about her love for Beyoncé's "Brown Skin Girl" and explained the importance of seeing yourself and your skin in a beautiful light, despite the amount of pain the opinions of others might have caused in the past. "I feel like the work of adults is to heal their childhood wounds, so this book was very much written as the adult, as well, to have that book that you might have needed when you were younger," she said. In response to a question from Ophrah Winfrey about her thoughts on brown skin, Nyong'o said, "I know that brown-skinned girls are not a monolith. Another thing that I know for sure is that brown skin is ordinary. The extraordinary thing, or the special thing, is being able to celebrate it, embrace it, in spite of a world that might not value it — and that's what Sulwe is about." Keep scrolling to see all the best moments from Nyong'o's AMA, which also includes a few questions about her performance in Jordan Peele's Us. Related: Lupita Nyong'o on How Sulwe Compares to Her Childhood: "I Would Pray to God For Lighter Skin" Q: #AskLupita I so enjoyed our convo that’s airing this Saturday 10/26 on @OWNTV. But I forgot to ask you…What do you know for sure about being a dark skinned girl? 👍🏾- @OprahA: pic.twitter.com/YHa8IOMFvq— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 1 / 12 Q: Hello! First, you are a goddess so thank you for being you. Second, what are some of your favorite stories from growing up? #AskLupita- @numilalaA: pic.twitter.com/mNgEiThDnZ— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 2 / 12 Q: What’s your inspiration behind #sulwe? #AskLupita- @markslokiA: pic.twitter.com/vxZRfFNq7F— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 3 / 12 Q: Hi @Lupita_Nyongo! We have a question for you - what impact do you hope #Sulwe fosters in the adults who will read this book to their children? #AskLupita- @OWNTVA: pic.twitter.com/RiclF5pSz0— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 4 / 12 Q: What was harder: writing a book or surviving "Us"? #AskLupita- @TwitterMoviesA: pic.twitter.com/kYWMm1ublJ— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 5 / 12 Q: @Lupita_Nyongo Big fan of your work. Which of your performances so far have you found the most challenging and interesting from an acting perspective and why? #AskLupita- @TimeForAFilmA: pic.twitter.com/Lch4suXrGu— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 6 / 12 Q: How did you go about picking Vashti to do the illustrations (which are amazing) #Sulwe #Asklupita- @Maine_CharA: pic.twitter.com/TZc428U00D— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 7 / 12 Q: We love you. Have you read Sulwe to your niece yet? #AskLupita- @vernonfrancoisA: pic.twitter.com/O7aMXJ4wgl— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 8 / 12 Q: #AskLupita What goes on in your mind when you watch yourself playing a role in a movie?- @KelvinM90440346A: pic.twitter.com/nHODgYM55h— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 9 / 12 Q: did you cry writing #Sulwe? How many times? #AskLupita- @markslokiA: pic.twitter.com/RsPBBWpTFH— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 10 / 12 Q: Hi Lupita!! Congratulations on Sulwe. I absolutely adored you in US this year—your performance was phenomenal. What was the most difficult part about switching between Adelaide and Red? #AskLupita- @rachAelcrouch_A: pic.twitter.com/7tgetk6HUt— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 11 / 12 Q: #AskLupita what's your favourite song/music to get ready to an event?- @asdeadasorenA: pic.twitter.com/RGmZdqy8Oz— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) October 24, 2019 12 / 12 AntiracismBlack WomenUs MovieWomen Of ColorLupita Nyong'oMovies