Nyakim Gatwech, also known as Queen of the Dark, is a 24-year-old model who is turning heads worldwide with her ferocious resolve and gorgeous dark skin tone. She’s on a mission to show the world that she’s comfortable with her skin tone and encourages others to do the same.
Gatwech, a South Sudanese refugee who was born in Ethiopia, had to migrate around with her family as a result of the war. Her family subsequently emigrated to the United States, where she struggled to acclimatize to the culture in Buffalo, New York.
“I was fine with my self-esteem and I started being torn down by society, and I started looking at myself,” she told in an interview with CBS News. “Do I blend in with what society considered to be beautiful?”
She later relocated to Minneapolis, where she attended St. Cloud Tech High School and Minnesota State University. She found more acceptance and even began her modeling career there. Even though the photographer tried to brighten her skin and make it lighter on occasion, she insisted on maintaining her natural appearance.
She claimed that she had encountered an Uber driver who urged her to bleach her skin and even offered to pay her to do so. “It’s funny that I still receive that question today,” she stated with a smile, “people need to realize that we’re different.”
Gatwech now uses her life experiences to inspire young females all around the world. She has received a lot of support since then, and she now has over 850,000 Instagram followers.
“She is a black girl excellent, she is me and I am her. My beautiful niece is the reason I do what I do so she doesn’t look at herself in the mirror and see anything else but beauty, In a world that tries everyday to tell us we’re not the beauty stander, I remind her and all the little black girls out there that they are drop dead gorgeous, intelligent, brave outstanding and much more.”
Her net worth is $4 million, according to Celebrity How, thanks to endorsements and brand ambassador relationships with prominent firms like Fashion Nova.
