Gorgeous Senegalese Model Was Once Bullied For Her Dark Skin

Khoudia Diop is turning the fashion world's status quo on its head and we are here for it! The Senegalese beauty, who calls herself "the melanin goddess," is speaking out about what it's like to be a dark-skinned model in a society dominated by Western beauty standards. Even in parts of Africa, millions of women bleach their skin because lighter-toned women are considered more beautiful, successful, and more likely to get married, BBC reported. Diop has made a name for herself despite these stereotypes, and recently opened up about what it's like to model on the runways of Paris and New York after being teased for her skin tone as a child.

"Bullies used to come with all kinds of names thinking I'll feel bad about my color," she said on Instagram earlier this month. "Well guess what, I loved them all and showed them how much I didn't care about what they think."

"If you're lucky enough to be different, don't ever change," she later wrote.

This girl's got beauty on the outside and the inside, and we can't wait to see where she takes her #BlackGirlMagic next. You can check out Diop's most recent work in The Colored Girl Campaign, a movement that tackles colorism among black women, and other gorgeous shots from her Instagram below: