Netflix announced today that they will be turning Sulwe, the New York Times bestselling children’s book by Lupita Nyong’o, into an animated musical. Nyong’o’s book was released back in 2019 and told the heartwarming story about a young girl who is learning to love her dark skin. One night, she is visited by a shooting star sent by the Night and embarks on a magical journey where she learns the eye-opening story of the sisters Night and Day. The book was praised as a true coming-of-age movie that explores colourism, self-love, and self-esteem.

We’re so excited to announce SULWE, the animated musical, is coming to Netflix! Based off of Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o’s New York Times bestselling book, SULWE tells the story of a young girl born “the color of midnight” who learns to embrace her inner and outer beauty. pic.twitter.com/jv9ENBfAuu

— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) February 18, 2021

With recent efforts such as Beyoncé’s visual album ‘Black is King’, the Wizkid-assisted song “Brown Skin Girl” and Netflix documentaries such as Beverly Naya-directed ‘Skin’, it is increasingly clear that young Black women have set out to visualise their experiences in a world that constantly pits them down. Black is beautiful and it is deeply encouraging that young Black girls are growing up in a world where they can see themselves and their experiences represented in mainstream media.

Speaking about the upcoming Netflix animation, Nyong’o shares that:

“The story of Sulwe is one that is very close to my heart,” Nyong’o, who was raised in Kenya, said in a statement today. “Growing up, I was uncomfortable in my dark skin. I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in the aspirational pages of books and magazines, or even on TV. It was a long journey for me to arrive at self-love. Sulwe is a mirror for dark-skinned children to see themselves, a window for those who may not be familiar with colorism, to have understanding and empathy, and an invitation for all who feel different and unseen to recognize their innate beauty and value. I am thrilled that the book is being adapted into an animated musical that we hope inspires children all around the world to celebrate their uniqueness.”

You can learn more about ‘Sulwe’ below.

Featured image credits/Deadline

ICYMI: Nigerian animation is winning this year