In a deeply personal and emotional social media video, a young woman named Sophia—known online as @prettygirlsophi—is sparking an important conversation about colorism, family trauma, and the journey toward self-love.
Her story is one many silently carry: growing up in a home where dark skin was treated as something to be fixed.
“Everything in the house was carrot soap and lightening cream,” Sophia revealed. “We didn’t even have Dove.”
Sophia recounted how her own mother, who had internalized colorist beauty ideals and bleached her own dark skin, forced her daughters to do the same—providing only skin-lightening products and reinforcing the message that their dark skin made them unworthy.
“My mom used to hate all three of her daughters just because we were dark-skinned,” Sophia said. “She used to be like, ‘Oh, you’re so ugly. You look Black.’”
The video, which has since gone viral, is more than a testimony of pain. It’s a powerful act of reclaiming self-worth. Sophia, now an adult, says she no longer harbors shame about her skin. Instead, she beams with confidence—and pride.
“I used to hate everything about myself. But now I love myself so much. And I think that’s why she’s mad—because we didn’t grow up to hate ourselves,” she confessed.
Her message has struck a chord across generations, especially among Black women who recognize the insidious ways colorism—preference for lighter skin tones over darker ones—can start at home.
Colorism: A Global Issue, A Personal Story
Colorism is a legacy of colonialism and racism that impacts communities of color across the globe—from the U.S. to the Caribbean, to Africa and Asia. But as Sophia’s story shows, it often begins quietly—within the walls of the home, reinforced by family members who themselves are still wounded by societal messages that devalue darker skin.
Her mother, she says, had been bleaching her skin “since she was probably born.” That internalized self-hate was passed down, and it nearly stole Sophia’s self-esteem.
“She wanted me to hate myself. But I love the way God made me. I feel like I’m so beautiful,” Sophia said in her viral social media post.
The video isn’t just a reckoning—it’s a call to action. It’s a message that healing is possible. That children deserve love, not shame. That beauty doesn’t come in one shade.
A Generation Breaking the Cycle
What Sophia has done with her platform is what many would call generational healing. Instead of perpetuating the bias, she’s interrupting it—refusing to pass it on to future generations:
“Me and my boyfriend—we’re dark. I do not expect my kid to come out light. I would love my kid no matter what.”
In a world where lighter skin is often still idolized, Sophia’s story is radical and brave. But more importantly, it’s necessary.
This is not just a story about colorism. It’s a story about healing, about fighting for self-worth, and about refusing to inherit someone else’s self-hate.
Sophia closes her video with what has become a rallying cry for many watching:
“I love the way I turned out. I feel like I’m so beautiful.”
And now, so do thousands of others.
