My hair has been historically shunned: Lupita Nyong'o

Los Angeles : Actress Lupita Nyong'o wants to fight the stereotype that "natural, African, kinky hair" is "uncivilised" and she wants black women to be proud of their natural hair.

"My hair is something that, historically, has been shunned. I mean, how often do you hear 'You can't get a job with hair like that?' Natural, African, kinky hair - it's often been painted as uncivilised or wild," Nyong'o told Porter magazine.

"Being featured on the cover of a magazine fulfils me as it is an opportunity to show other dark, kinky-haired people, and particularly our children, that they are beautiful just the way they are," she added.

The "12 Years a Slave" star is writing a children's book to help young dark-skinned children to be proud of their looks, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The book is titled "Sulwe" meaning "star" in the actress's native language Luo - and is focused on a five-year-old girl and her life growing up in Kenya.