My immediate family was always very supportive. It was my own fear of the rest of the world not accepting me, the rest of our society not accepting my wish to be an actor.
Lupita Nyong'ORead
Slavery is something that is all too often swept under the carpet. The shame doesn't even belong to us, but we still experience it because we're a part of the African race. If it happened to one, it happened to all. We carry that burden.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the collective burden of slavery and its lasting impact on the African race.
Lupita Nyong'o highlights the ongoing effects of slavery that extend beyond the historical context, affecting the identity and collective consciousness of individuals within the African race. She asserts that the shame associated with it is not theirs to bear alone, yet it still influences their lives, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and resilience in confronting this legacy.
Themes
SlaveryBurdenShameRaceIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in discussions during educational seminars about the history of slavery.
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As human beings, we aren't as individual as we'd like to believe we are. And I think that's what makes acting possible. Despite the fact that I have not experienced something, I have it in my human capacity to imagine it and to put myself in someone else's shoes, and to take someone else's circumstances personally.
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I've loved the opportunity to learn about the fashion world and appreciate it as an art form, and I look forward to my continued education, but I never want it to take over my acting.
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