Grade 10, Sakha Kids
Mimi was a bright and curious sixteen-year-old girl with a warm, golden-brown complexion. She loved chilling with her mates outside, exploring the vibrant makers in her neighbourhood, and listening to her grandmother’s stories about the world of ancestors. One day, while playing with her friends, Mimi overheard someone saying, “You’re so dark, you blend into shadows.” The words stung, and for the first time Mimi felt self-conscious about her skin. That evening she asked her grandmother, “Boniswa, why do people say mean things about my skin?” Her grandmother smiled. “Ah, my dear, your skin is like the rich soil of our ancestors’ land, and it’s fertile, strong, and beautiful. Do not let anyone dull your sunshine.” That made her look at herself in the mirror, and see how beautiful her skin was. That there was sunshine within herself.
From that day going forward, Mimi walked taller, proud of her brown skin and the sunshine that radiated from within. She knew she was a bright light and no one could dim her glow. She thought, “No one can dull my light, my richness, my beautiful skin, and warm brown skin tone. I am a melanin, Queen of beauty and creative. Being a chocolate skin girl doesn’t mean I have to take advantage of my skin tone.”