Nyakim Gatwech is a popular South Sudanese-born model who now resides in the United States, and is often referred to as the “The Queen of Dark” due to her skin colour.
With a distinctive look, the 24-year-old has become an online sensation and has subsequently grown her fan base. Her unique style is what has drawn many to her, and her resilience against the demands of the controversial fashion industry.
She loves her dark skin, and she’s prepared to clap back at anyone who has anything negative to say about it — including an Uber driver who decided it was his job to ask if she would consider bleaching.
“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 in late March.
“I couldn’t even respond I started laughing so hard.”
“[Then] he said, ‘So that a no?’ and I was like hell to the f*king yeah [that’s] no, why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin God [blessed] me with,” she added. “[Then] he said so you look at it as a blessing?”
“You won’t believe the kind of questions I get and the kind of looks I get for having this skin.”
Unfortunately, there have been many times that Gatwech has been confronted about her skin.
Speaking to Yahoo Beauty, the model admits that since moving to the U.S., she has been criticised on several occasions for her deep brown hue.
Although she’s proud of her skin tone today, the journey wasn’t always smooth.
“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,” Gatwech told the Yahoo Beauty.
But Gatwech has stayed true to herself, offering a message of confidence to her many fans on social media.
“My skin absorbs the suns rays and my hair defies gravity,” she wrote on Instagram Monday.
“Now you can’t tell me I’m not magical!”
