14 Women Share Their Stories On What It Means To Be Dark-Skinned And It’s The Most Inspiring Thing You’ll Read

5. Shilpa Colluru (33) – Brand Consultant

I never really thought about the colour of my skin until I went to college in Delhi. That’s where I was discriminated in subtle ways about not just my skin colour but also for being South Indian. I guess that’s when I looked at women like Nandita Das and Konkana Sen and felt proud about being dark skinned. Now I find that there is an awareness in the upper classes of society. But we have a long way to go before it percolates down to every strata of our society. The day my parlour girl stops trying to sell me an anti-tan waxing solution or a fairness facial, that’s when the real change has happened. But I’d tell any young girl I know that skin colour doesn’t matter. What matters is that you love yourself and start feeling confident.