Lupita Nyong’o Is Spotlighting African Diaspora Stories With New Podcast ‘Mind Your Own’

Produced by KQED's Snap Studios and distributed by Lemonada Media, the podcast brings together a broad representation of African cultures, featuring six African languages and music by 15 composers from the African diaspora.

For Nyong’o, who has her own diaspora story, this project is personal. Born in Mexico, raised in Kenya, and having spent the past 20 years in the U.S., she understands the complexities Africans in diaspora face as they navigate life far from home.

“It is deeply important to me that honest and authentic stories about the African experience are made widely available to all,” says Nyong’o. “This podcast is close to my heart, reflecting both my personal connection to these narratives and the work of the talented team of African voices, composers, and editors who brought them to life. I’m thrilled to partner with Lemonada Media to share this powerful series with a global audience.”

In the trailer, Nyong’o reveals that Mind Your Own came to her while longing to hear a story that felt like home. The goal of the podcast was “to go beyond the news reports about Africans and hear straight from us—more of our nuanced, intimate stories.” She adds, “I want to help share them, and tell a few of my own,” finishing with, “We are going home.”

Mind Your Own debuts with two episodes on September 19 across all major podcast platforms, with new episodes released weekly.