It took me several years to realize that my black skin is beautiful and I have accepted the fact that indeed black is beautiful now. This skin I have been in for so many years determined my self worth. I had so many factors "against" me in my mind when I was a little girl. I was a tall, thin, dark skinned girl with a gap tooth smile. Growing up, the only role model that I had was my mother, who has beautiful deep brown complexion  . It's amazing how I could find beauty in my mother's complexion but not my own. One of the most outstanding memories of my childhood is the words "Oh, she is so cute for a dark skinned little girl." People spoke as if I wasn't in the room, as if I couldn't hear. From a young age, I felt ashamed that my black color wasn't good enough, so I buried myself in books to stay away from the mirror. I knew that my education would and could take me further than my looks. I stopped watching TV, absorbed in my studies and I was happy with my decision. Now I have been admitted to my ideal Coppin State University, which is for black students and has a long history. It wasn't until I was at age 16 that I officially decided to fix my deep rooted issue about my dark complexion. I had been brainwashed to subscribe to the European standard of beauty for so many years. I no longer accept this standard, because I set my own. My black is beautiful including my full lips, the wideness of my nose, and the intensity   of my eyes. I believe that there are plenty of beautiful dark skinned women in the world. When the author was young, she   _  .
realized the importance of good memory didn't mind others saying she was black accepted the European standard of beauty didn't think her mother was very beautiful