The Free and The Brave: The Cast of 12 Years A Slave By Lorna Simpson for W Magazine Dec.13/Jan14

The Free and the Brave: W Magazine's Introduction of The Cast of Steve McQueen's "12 Years A Slave."

Director Steve McQueen

Actors Chiwetal Ejiofor and Adepero Oduye

Actors Michael Fassbender and Lupita Nyong'o

Photos: Lorna Simpson/Stefan Ruiz

Le Look Du Jour: Actress Lupita Nyong'o For InStyle Magazine December 2013

I tend to relish in my so called psychic abilities and being that I was totally disappointed in the November issue of InStyle Magazine, I knew that Actress Lupita Nyong'o had to be in the December issue and here she is: Swept Away

The beautiful Lupita was photographed by Emma Tempest 

Styling by Melissa Rubini

Gorgeous in J. Mendel at the 17th Annual Hollywood Film Awards: Actress Lupita Nyong’o

I'm about to go on a little rant here, so be prepared. Do you see what happens when we promote those who our media won't normally promote? I celebrate Lupita because Lupita looks just like me, especially in my younger years. She's beautiful, poised and so elegant and I wish her nothing but the best in her future.

Now, you see Lupita's name all over the place and that's a good thing and we all know how the media has a way of picking up on people who we deem as popular.

On Tumblr she is all over our blogs, because that's where I first introduced her to the world at and I couldn't stop. I'm not obsessed, I just celebrate our beauty in the ways that it should be; because if we don't celebrate and embrace our own beauty many of you will be waiting forever if you think someone else will.

Ok, rant over. Doesn't she look gorgeously beautiful in this J. Mendel Gown???

And some of you have the nerve to be afraid of wearing clothing in color. Newsflash: Your beautiful skin tones can wear every color in the rainbow and they will still flatter you, heck, all women can use a little color in their wardrobes because color gives a woman exuberance and vitality.

Photos: Getty Images

VOGUE NOVEMBER 2013 | Actress Lupita Nyong'o

Some things are just worth the wait and this is one of them...

Actress Lupita Nyong'o for VOGUE 2013

She Looks Absolutely Stunning In This Zac Posen Gown!!!


Photo:Christian MacDonald

One To Watch: Actress Lupita Nyong'o

Actress Lupita Nyong'o

Leave it to the mainstream media to introduce to the world the type of beauty that often travels underneath the obscurity of the Afro-American media. I have been seeing this beautiful newcomer by the name of Lupita Nyong'o in almost every mainstream magazine and website promoting her latest movie, "Twelve Years A Slave," which she co-stars in with actor Chiwetel Ejiofor and others, everywhere.

Lupita Nyong'o was born in Mexico, to Kenyan parents and raised in Kenya much of her life. She is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama's Acting program. This marks Lupita's film debut in a major movie role and she's receiving the well-deserved accolades.

Rant: I've witnessed these type of incidents so many times, so I'm not surprised at all because of the lack of support she hasn't received from the black media and they, just like every one else promotes who they want to promote. As usual they won't write anything about her until there's a buzz just like many did with the actors of 'Fruitvale Station,' which I also saw all over the place during the international film festivals before the buzz hit the black press.

As I've wrote in many comment sections: It is the job of the Afro-American media to promote our people even when they're not popular and not be considered as an afterthought once the mainstream media promotes them. It's hypocritical to cry about exclusion when many of you practice the same exclusionary practices as those you whine about.

I'm not saying that I visit every niche website, but I do tend to read the so-called popular ones from time to to time and this has been on my mind for quite some, so I had to call them out for their hypocrisy and failure to set the tone and promotion of the diversity of black beauty.

 "Twelve Years A Slave" is directed by Steve McQueen and is based on the life of Solomon Northup and hits theaters 18 October 2013.

Photos: Getty Images