Young girls are challenged to accept themselves in their dark skin. This has created insecurities and low self-esteem which many young black girls are subjected to. While “Yellow bone” seems to be the accepted, promoted and loved skin colour in society, Wanda Banda tells a different story.
This 19 year old Black Woman is an actress, a model and an activist who is currently in her first year doing a BA in Theatre and Performance at the University of Cape Town.
“Dark skinned is an experience very common in the lives of young black women; I cannot recall being teased because of my skin color. I was teased about other things like my height (I am quite tall), my hair and so on, but for me dark skin means power and wealth. It is a blessing and a curse but never a burden. It means strength to me. You learn to appreciate yourself; with time you learn that you’re a goddess.”
Difficulties in school
While she didn’t experience bad vibes about her dark skin, she had to confront another challenge “Attending a multiracial school it’s something I have spoken about a lot on my social media. I went to a predominantly white school, so it was tough fitting in. The environment was not designed for a person of color and underlying discrimination was something I had to deal with on a daily basis.”
She has embraced her black and bold beauty while other black girls find it difficult to. “Self-love is definitely a process. And everyone’s journey is different. I believe social media helped me greatly because I was able to see how black women around me were becoming more and more empowered and that made me discover my beauty.”
“I don’t endorse skin bleaching. It’s definitely a form of insecurity and still believing that European features are the epitome of beauty. We just need to learn to love our melanin, PERIOD.”
Wanda is a true picture of what black women represent in society at such a young age. What can we expect from her Majesty?
“I’m planning on going into entertainment. I want to be an actress, model, singer, activist, business woman and just a multifaceted queen cause black excellence right? Basically my future plan is to be successful and in doing so, continue to inspire the black women and other POC’s around me!