After the tumultuous road to gaining independence came to a close on 12th December 1963, Kenya was declared a republic on the same date of the following year. It was official, we were now officially proclaimed and forever known as ‘The Republic of Kenya,’ – has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? The year 2014 was significant for many reasons, for one, it marked 50 years of our republic status. To add to the historical event, we had a name rise to the surface and add to the long-term narrative of this nation.
This name being none other than, Lupita Nyong’o.
Lupita became a household name when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress at the 86th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California. She became the first Kenyan ever to win Hollywood’s most prestigious award. It was her performance in the role of Patsey in the harrowing film, 12 Years a Slave, that earned her this merit.
This film directed by Steve McQueen brought to life the memoirs of Solomon Northup a born free African American man who was sold into slavery by two conmen in 1841. His suffering under the harsh conditions of slavery are captured in a cinematic language widely spoken. Patsey, Lupita’s character, is a slave girl condemned to picking 500 pounds of cotton daily on the plantations of the Deep South. Besides the gruelling labour, she is repeatedly assaulted by her master, Epps, and is consequently brutalized and abused by his wife.
The emotional and mental preparation Lupita underwent to honour the strength and suffering of Patsey was gruelling. At the Toronto International Film Festival she recalled that she had insomnia the entire shoot, because of the ‘painful place she had to go to,’ coupled with the paradoxical ‘joy of making the film.’
She dug deep into her arsenal of tools and techniques gained while studying at the Yale School of Drama which bore fruit when she took her place on that global stage. ‘When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.’ The last four words of her acceptance speech ring true and remain on our lips years after they were uttered.
On the home front, artists painted her face on walls and matatus in honour of her. At the rugby 7’s, the crowd displayed toward the heavens a massive banner that read ‘Congratulations Lupita Nyong’o all the best at the Oscars’ the day prior to the occasion. We rallied behind our superstar because she was our beacon of hope that year, 2014. She is reminds us that with drive, determination and the courage to follow your bliss, anything is possible for anybody.
This multi-talented actor has recently authored and released a children’s book ‘Sulwe’, which inspired by her own childhood turmoil, follows the journey of a young girl who wishes her dark skin was lighter; she spirals into an adventure through the night sky that leads her to appreciate her own unique beauty.
A voice of our generation who constantly gives of herself in the art she creates, 2014, was the year the world was introduced to Lupita’s brilliance, and it is clear that this star will continue to shine bright.
