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.”
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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