Your body is your smoke detector. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “It’s in His Kiss”: 18-year-old Lupita falls for Juan, a handsome family friend. Just when she thinks he couldn’t be more perfect, they share their first kiss. Original score by Nyokabi Kariũki, with additional production from Clay Xavier and MR LU*. “Love and Marriage”: When Sirry graduates from college in Buea, Cameroon, all eyes are on her. Why...

No one rules forever on the throne of time. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “The Black Ties”: In high school, Lupita pushes back against an archaic rule with a secret weapon. Original score by Cheflee. “The Holy Holies”: Odinaka departs Atlanta for boarding school in Nigeria, where he clashes with the upperclassmen. Enter divine intervention in the form of “The Catholic Executives.” Thank you Odinaka Ezeokoli for...

Wherever you go, there you are. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “A Christmas Misadventure”: ¡Feliz Navidad! Lupita is in Mexico for Christmas when a friend invites her to join him and his relatives for the holiday. Original score by Parker Halliwell, Jr. AKA Dakim. “TikTok Ticket”: Phoebe didn’t grow up with much else besides her dreams. To support herself and her family, she leaves Uganda for difficult work...

You can’t spot a red flag while wearing rose-colored glasses. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “The Mission”: Garrett is infamous on campus for having problematic views on race. Lupita wants to school him into making better choices. Original score by Sandra Lawson-Ndu and Olukemi Lijadu. “Red Foxes”: Ansa is living in Washington, D.C. when she meets Henry on a dating app. It’s love at first sight … until a shaman...

The kola nut stays longer in the mouth of those who value it. STORIES “The Pearl Dress”: Lupita tells the story of an Oscars controversy that places her at the center of a media circus.   Original score by Lauryn Newson, with additional music from Niecy Blues. “The Lost Tome”: Ayanawo, an Ethiopian-Israeli living near Tel Aviv, receives an urgent call about a mysterious book. Ayanawo Ferada Senebato, thank you for bringing your story to Mind Your Own. Produced by Deena Prichep with...

When elephants fight, the grass suffers. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “Disappeared”: Being the child of a changemaker can be an isolating experience. For Lupita and her family, it feels like everything is at stake all the time. Original score by Khari Lucas. “The Lions’ Den”: Portia is the daughter of a household name in Rwandan politics who’s larger than life. He keeps his family safe and their spirits high...

Love is sweeter than reason. STORIES “Sister Trouble”: Lupita, her sister Fiona, and cousins Kitt, Tawi, and Mich get together to recount a legendary nursing mishap. Produced by David Exumé, with assistance from Fiona Nyong’o. Original score by Clay Xavier. “Oha Soup”: Joan, a Nigerian barrister, pours all her love into her signature dish just so she can hand-deliver it for her daughter’s graduation in New York. Produced by Priscilla Alabi and David Exumé. Original score by Jeremy Uwah. ...

The longest journey is from daughter to mother. STORIES “Up in the Air”: Lupita and her mom enter a tense standoff on top of a seaside wall in Puerto Rico. Original score by Lauryn Newson. “Who's Bad?”: In Toronto, young Evelyn is proving to be quite the handful for her disapproving mom — skipping class, throwing parties, ignoring curfew. But her parents have an old-school trick of their own up their sleeves. Thank you to Evelyn Koomson and her mother, Yaa Owusu Nsiah, for bringing this...

The dead man does not know the value of his coffin. This episode contains strong language and graphic imagery. Sensitive listeners, please be advised. STORIES “Comeuppance”: 12-year-old Lupita’s split-second playground decision haunts her for years. Original score by Clay Xavier. “Graveyard Shift”: John Kibera has found the hustle to end all hustles in Nairobi. The shillings pour in. But one day, a job goes very, very wrong. Thank you, John, for sharing your story with us. Produced by...

Sound travels in all directions, but your feet can only follow in one. STORIES “Losing My Accent”: Lupita takes on an American accent when she becomes an actor-in-training at Yale. Original score by Ian Hughes Pelton AKA Tofu Jack. “Obaa Sima”: How long can a song stay in your heart? A musical journey from Ghana to Germany to Canada transports Yaw Atta-Owusu from the toy store to the dance floor. Big thanks to Yaw for sharing his story with us! Check out the Obaa Sima album featured in...

Welcome to Mind Your Own, a storytelling podcast navigating what it means to belong, all from the African perspective. Join Lupita Nyong’o as she shares tales of her own and dives into the lives of real people finding their way in new worlds of every kind. This ten episode series is coming your way September 19. Episodes drop weekly, wherever you get your podcasts.Original Mind Your Own theme song by Sandra Lawson-Ndu AKA Sandu Ndu x Peachcurls ft. Ehiorobo. Original music for the trailer by...