Off The Record
Meet Nyakim Gatwec, A Model That Was Dubbed ‘Queen Of The Dark’
When her Uber driver gave her uninvited advice on how to take care of her gorgeous complexion, the woman was taken aback.
The fashion diva, widely referred to as the “Queen of the Dark,” laughed back and dismissed his remarks as she embraced her stunning beauty.
Discover what this Uber driver told her and how she used it as a teaching opportunity by reading on!
Nyakim Gatwech believed that living in America would “be like heaven” after having spent her formative years in camps for refugees in Ethiopia and Kenya.
However, Gatwech spent a lot of time by herself in Buffalo when she arrived there at the age of 14, sobbing over people’s opinions of her highly pigmented complexion.
“You don’t take showers. That’s why your skin is dirt.” Or, “Smile so we can see you, Nyakim. We can’t see you.” Because of this, your skin is filthy. Or, Nyakim, smile so we can see you. You are invisible to us.
For instance, the teacher might pose a question in class and remark, “Oh, Nyakim, can you answer that?'” How about “Who are you talking to?” from a child? She is invisible to us. She isn’t present. The now 31-year-old lady tells Cosmopolitan, “I would just cry, and the whole class would start laughing.”
The young, naive girl only wanted to blend in, but it wasn’t easy when strangers were placing wagers on whether or not she was actually that dark-skinned or if she was wearing leggings.
“At one point, I did consider [bleaching my skin]. When I came to America from a refugee camp in Africa [at age 14], I lived in Buffalo, New York. I would cry myself to sleep after being bullied [about my skin],” says the beauty. “There are so many beautiful dark-skinned Sudanese women who bleach their skin.”
The model went on to say that one of the Sudanese women who bleached her skin was her own sister. “My own sister did it. But when I told her I wanted to [after living in America for a few months], she told me no. I’m not going to let my daughter do it, or you, nobody.’”
Queen of the Dark
The lady, who has faced discrimination from cosmetic artists, designers, and other models, is now known as the Queen of the Dark and feels empowered as a result of overcoming the criticism.
And Gatwech’s 962,000 devoted Instagram followers support her confidence and incredible affection for her rich chocolate complexion.
“My chocolate is elegant. So this is what I represent… A nation of warriors,” she writes in one post.
And fans of the stunningly gorgeous woman can’t seem to get enough of her.
“Omgggggg I love your skin and melanin,” writes one fan, while another says, “love your beautiful skin tone so much! God makes beautiful creations such as you to remind us of His magnificence!”
Responding to the overwhelming support, Gatwech says, “I grew to learn to love myself…Now, I am not bothered by it [the negativity]. I accept my skin, I love myself, and I’m not insecure about my skin anymore. I don’t think I’m ugly anymore. I have confidence in myself.”
‘Stupidest questions’
Gatwech talks about an Uber driver she met a few years ago who inquired if she would ever think of bleaching her unusual complexion.
“He said, ‘Wow, you’re dark,’” Gatwech tells Cosmopolitan of her conversation with the driver. “I just laughed. I wanted to know why he thought I should. He said that because life would be easier for me. It would be easier for me to be in a relationship, or guys would be more attracted to me if I was lighter. If I were going to a job interview, I would get the job opportunities because I’m lighter. I just said, ‘[Even if] being lighter would make my life easier, I’d rather take the [hard] road.”
“I’m used to people asking the stupidest questions ever [about my skin],” the woman continues.
Gatwech then posted the narrative and an incredible photo of herself with three other dark-skinned Sudanese beauties on Instagram.
She writes, “A country with people so dark you won’t believe your eyes… skin so rich and teeth so bright. Gosh, how I love my country my people and everything that comes with it.”
She continues by describing her encounter with the Uber driver, saying, “[SIC] I was asking my Uber driver the other day, and he said, don’t take this personally, but would you bleach your skin for ten thousand dollars? I laughed so hard I was unable to even answer.” Then he said, “So that’s a no,” and I was like, “Hell to the f*king yeah, that’s a no, why would I ever bleach this gorgeous melanin that God bless with me?” Then he said, “So you see it as a blessing.”
Her supporters rushed to Gatwech’s defense, praising her immediately.
“I guess he did not get the memo…black is beautiful,” writes one fan.
“I cherish you for cherishing me,” another says. “Why would we ever want to mess up something so beautiful?” asks a third.
When asked by Yahoo Beauty what advice she can offer young black girls who are facing similar obstacles, she said, “You are beautiful, you are unique, and there are people who love you just the way you are. They say that the darker the cherry, the sweeter the juice. Embrace your darkness!”
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