It’s no secret we live in a world with tons of people who view things through judgmental eyes. It’s unfortunate that after so many years of facing prejudice and racism, people of color still have to deal with questions, comments, and assumptions regarding the color of their skin.
South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech knows that she’s beautiful in her own skin. She has been nicknamed the ‘Queen Of The Dark’. She’s a 24-year-old fashion icon who often gets thousands of likes on her Instagram photos.
On one of the many pictures, she told the story of how an uber driver suggested that she bleach her skin. Nyakim has darkly pigmented skin and although it was not always accepted, all she could do was laugh in his face.
All in all, she’s gorgeous, she’s breaking fashion barriers, and she’s ready to dish back whatever people serve her.
Nyakim isn’t just an advocate for diversity in the fashion world, she’s also working for the rights of black people all across the globe.
She happily accepts her title as ‘Queen of the Dark’ and constantly shares words of wisdom and inspiration on her social media.
She also shares stories of times that she’s been tested, and overcame the situation. One, in particular, was an Uber driver who thought it was his place to offer his opinion on her appearance.
‘You won’t believe the kind of questions I get and the kind of looks I get for having this skin,’ she told Huffington Post. ‘As I grew I learned to love myself more every day and not pay attention to the negative people, which helped a lot.’
On one of her Instagram posts, she tells the story of an Uber driver who suggested she lighten her skin.
‘He said, ‘Don’t take offense but if you were given 10 thousand dollars would you bleach your skin for that amount?’’ Nyakim wrote that she couldn’t even respond because she started laughing so hard.
After settling down she told him no, obviously. ‘Why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin God [blessed] me with.’
She also added that he responded with ‘So you look at it as a blessing?’ Even if he was being honestly curious, that Uber driver needs to realize that those questions are inappropriate, offensive, and racist.
Nyakim told Yahoo Beauty that she definitely does see her dark skin as a blessing. ‘I love every part of it, I love the fact my skin is unique and that my whole skin is one tone,’ she said. ‘And finally, how soft my skin is.’
‘A Country with people so dark you won’t believe your eyes,’ she captioned this photo. ‘Skin so rich and teeth so bright. Gosh, how I love my country my people and everything that comes with it.’
Since coming to the US, the Ethiopian model has noticed that some people are a bit confused by the color of her skin.
She decided to share her latest experience because she feels the need to educate her followers on the type of ignorant questions that she receives on the regular. ‘He was not the first to ask me that question,’ she told Yahoo Beauty,
‘I feel the need to educate my peers on my skin color rather than not saying anything and having it anger me.’ she explained to Yahoo Beauty.
She also explained that the love and confidence she has for her skin wasn’t always there. She grew up facing bullying and was told things such as ‘You black as hell, take a shower.’
She even admitted that there was a point in her life where she considered bleaching to avoid ‘the dirty looks, the laughter, and for boys to find me attractive.’
Even though she’s been discriminated against, she feels empowered to keep moving forward. ‘You are beautiful, you are unique, and there are people who love you just the way you are,’ she said. ‘They say the darker the cherry, the sweeter the juice. Embrace your darkness!’
