When it comes to beauty, women just CANNOT win. You’re either too fat, too skinny, too old, too young, too dark, to light, too short, too tall…WHO even comes up with all of these stipulations?!
South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech knows the ridicule all too well.
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Not only does she work in the industry that sets these absurd standards, but she also has some of the most beautiful, dark, Sudanese skin you’ve ever seen.
Of course, not everyone feels that way.
As the model tells Yahoo Beauty, she’s often negatively questioned about her unique skin tone—and people do not hold back.
“I was [asked by] my Uber driver the other day, he said, ‘Don’t take this offensive but if you were given 10 thousand dollars would you bleach your skin for that amount?'” the beauty queen wrote on Instagram.
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Of all the things in the world you could ask a gorgeous supermodel riding in the backseat of your car, THIS is the one that came to mind?
”I couldn’t even respond I started laughing so hard.”
Nyakim says you wouldn’t believe the kinds of questions she gets, or the looks that her dark skin attracts.
She answered the Uber driver with her own confident question:
“Why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin God [blessed] me with?”
Much to my surprise, this isn’t the first time Nyakim has faced scrutiny over her deep hue.
“There was a time in my life where I considered bleaching myself to avoid the dirty looks, the laughter, and for boys to find me attractive,” she admitted.
Growing up in school, she was often bullied with comments like: “You black as hell, take a shower.”
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These days, Nyakim takes pride in the skin she’s in. She has a bold message for other women who find themselves wrestling with their own so-called imperfections:
“You are beautiful, you are unique, and there are people who love you just the way you are.
They say the darker the cherry, the sweeter the juice. Embrace your darkness!”
