6 Proud African Mom Moments From John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba And More

See the best African mom moments of this year from Lupita Nyong'o, Idris Elba, John Boyega and more.

6 Proud African Mom Moments From John Boyega, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba And More

This Mother's Day, we round up some of the best moments from a few of our favorite celebs and their proud African moms. From sharing long-lasting advice to posing in style for the 'gram, our well-known stars know when to give their darling mothers their due props.


Idris Elba had to have his mother, Eve Elba, on his arm when he was made a member of the Order of the British Empire. The one who most hope will be the next 007 proudly comes from Ghanaian heritage on his mother's side and Sierra Leonean heritage on his father's.

As we were mourning the loss of Malick Sidibé, Inna Modja shares a still from her music video, Tombouctou, featuring her beautiful mother and grandmother. The artists owes her stage name to her mother—which is a nickname meaning, "Inna is bad" in Fulfulde.

A proud selfie of John Boyega and his mother, Abigail Boyega, as he spends quality time with her. We're still dying of laughter at his tweet about resuming his plantain frying duties once he arrives home.

The Queen, Mrs Adenuga opening the playground - Ijebu Ode, Nigeria. February 27th 2016. ?? A photo posted by SKEPTA (@skeptagram) on

 

Skepta was one proud son when he shared the moment of his mother opening a playground he helped build in his father's village in Nigeria. Check out his throwback of a rendition of Prince Nico Mbarga's classic tune, Sweet Mother.

Lupita Nyong'o recently tells USA TODAY, "My mother's always encouraged me to value people more than anything else." She also looks to Dorothy Nyong'o as inspiration when she prepared to play Raksha in Disney's remake of The Jungle Book.

Back when Uzo Aduba won the SAG Award for Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series playing Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in Orange Is The New Black, she shared some valuable advice from her mother in the press room post the award show. Let's also not forget how her mother instilled the power behind her full name, Uzoamaka, meaning the road is good, in Igbo.

Military official wearing green beret and camouflage uniform signs documents at desk while four officials stand behind, with Malian flag and African artwork in background.
News

As Mali Purge Streets Of French Names, Locals Wonder If It’s A Priority

The Malian military administration has renamed about 25 locations, including public institutions in a bid to shed itself of its French colonial history. However, some locals think this may render history incomplete.

Thandiwe Newton in a grey sleeveless dress, wearing red lipstick and crystal earrings, poses against a pink background
Arts + Culture

What's in A Name: How African Names Get Lost in Translation

From NBA stars to Grammy nominees, prominent Africans have often had their names misspelled or mispronounced. While some have pushed back and reclaimed it, others embrace it.