{"id":12531,"date":"2024-07-24T23:16:04","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T23:16:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=12531"},"modified":"2024-07-24T23:16:04","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T23:16:04","slug":"meet-nyakim-gatwec-a-model-nicknamed-queen-of-the-dark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtimenew.com\/?p=12531","title":{"rendered":"Meet Nyakim Gatwec \u2013 a model nicknamed \u2018Queen of the Dark\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

A woman was completely shocked when her Uber driver left her with an unsolicited tip on how to treat her stunning skin.<\/p>\n

Embracing her striking beauty, the fashion icon, also known as the \u201cQueen of the Dark,\u201d fired back with laughter and shrugged off his comments.<\/p>\n

Keep reading to learn what this Uber driver told her and how she turned it into a teachable moment!<\/p>\n

After spending her earlier years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, Nyakim Gatwech thought living in America would \u201cbe like heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

But when she landed in Buffalo at about 14 years old, Gatwech spent a lot of time alone, crying over the judgements of her deeply pigmented skin.
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\nThe Minnesota-based model, a native of South Sudan, spent years being bullied for her glowing dark skin, and told things like, \u201cYou don\u2019t take showers. That\u2019s why your skin is dirt.\u201d Or, \u201cSmile so we can see you, Nyakim. We can\u2019t see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIn class, for example, the teacher would ask a question and say, \u2018\u201c\u2019Oh, Nyakim, can you answer that?\u2019 A kid would say, \u2018Who are you talking to? We can\u2019t see her. She\u2019s not here.\u2019 The whole class would start laughing, and I would just cry,\u201d the now 31-year-old woman tells Cosmopolitan.
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\nThe young, impressionable girl only wanted to fit in, but it wasn\u2019t easy when random men were making bets on if she was wearing leggings, or if her skin was really that dark.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt 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],\u201d says the beauty. \u201cThere are so many beautiful dark-skinned Sudanese women who bleach their skin.\u201d
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\nThe model then revealed that her own sister is one of those Sudanese women who bleached her skin. \u201cMy 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\u2019m not going to let my daughter do it, or you, nobody.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Queen of the Dark
\nNow called Queen of the Dark, the woman \u2013 who\u2019s been discriminated against by designers, makeup artists, and also fellow models \u2013 feels empowered by pushing through the negativity.<\/p>\n

And Gatwech\u2019s confidence and amazing love for her deep chocolatey skin is bolstered by her 962,000 loyal followers on Instagram.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy chocolate is elegant. So is what I represent\u2026A nation of warriors,\u201d she writes in one post.
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\nAnd fans can\u2019t seem to get enough of the strikingly beautiful woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cOmgggggg I love your skin and melanin,\u201d writes one fan, while another says, \u201clove your beautiful skin tone so much! God makes beautiful creations such as you to remind us of His magnificence!\u201d<\/p>\n

Responding to the overwhelming support, Gatwech says, \u201cI grew to learn to love myself\u2026Now, I am not bothered by it [the negativity]. I accept my skin, I love myself, and I\u2019m not insecure about my skin anymore. I don\u2019t think I\u2019m ugly anymore. I have confidence in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Stupidest questions\u2019
\nA few years ago, Gatwech details an encounter with an Uber driver who asked if she\u2019d ever consider bleaching her unique skin.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018Wow, you\u2019re dark,\u2019\u201d Gatwech tells Cosmopolitan of her conversation with the driver. \u201cI just laughed. I wanted to know why he thought I should. He said 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 was going to a job interview, I would get the job opportunities because I\u2019m lighter. I just said, \u2018[Even if] being lighter would make my life easier, I\u2019d rather take the [hard] road.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

She adds, \u201cI\u2019m used to people asking the stupidest questions ever [about my skin].\u201d<\/p>\n

Then Gatwech shared the story on Instagram, along with a jaw-dropping image of her and three other dark-skinned Sudanese beauties.<\/p>\n

She writes, \u201cA country with people so dark you won\u2019t believe your eyes\u2026skin so rich and teeth so bright. Gosh how I love my country my people and everything that come with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

She then goes on to detail her run-in with the Uber driver: \u201c[SIC] I was ask my uber driver the other day he said, don\u2019t take this offensive but if you were given 10 thousand dollars would you bleach your skin for that amount? I couldn\u2019t even respond I started laughing so hard. Than he said so that a no and I was like hell to the f*king yeah that a no, why on earth would I ever bleach this beautiful melanin God bless with me Than he said so you look at it as a blessing?\u201d<\/p>\n

Her followers quickly jumped in with their praise, offering Gatwech their support.
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\n\u201cI guess he did not get the memo\u2026black is beautiful,\u201d writes one fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love you for loving you,\u201d shares a second. A third adds, \u201cWhy would we ever want to mess up something so beautiful?\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked by Yahoo Beauty what advice she can offer young black girls who are facing similar obstacles, she said, \u201cYou 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!\u201d
\nGatwech\u2019s message is a powerful reminder that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colours!<\/p>\n

What do you think of this stunning woman and how she responded to the Uber driver? Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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