As a black woman with darkskin growing up in the US, it was easy for me to hate myself as a child. I noticed at an early age that the darker your skin was, the uglier you are. I’ve been called all kinds of disgusting names by classmates and even family members. I remember a boy rubbing my skin saying my chocolate skin won’t come off, and one of my younger cousins standing in my face joking about my complexion because she had nothing else to do. I was always judged by my complexion by strangers and guess what? I will still be judged by my complexion by strangers. Unfortunately, that’s life for black people worldwide.
To fast forward a little bit, when I began traveling, people began to see my beauty for what it really is. The crazy thing is that in some cases, my skin wasn’t a fetish. Trust me, I can tell if someone only has a fetish or not. When I traveled to South Africa, I was given the name Buhle, meaning beautiful in Zulu, and currently in Taiwan, the first word that comes to mind about me is, “Piaoliang” meaning pretty. Don’t get me wrong, there are still times when I’m stared at, and in this world, black people suffer the most, but they see my confidence, and they stop messing with me.
The older I become, and the more that I learn about myself, I continue to love and appreciate myself for who I am. Now that I actually live overseas, and meet people from all over the world, I can’t believe that there was ever a time that I hated myself. I’m a proud black woman from Jersey. I’m thankful for my passion for traveling, my upbringing, family, friends, and my beautiful, authentic self.
And next lifetime, I better be black again……
Loray’s Journeys 