When I look in the mirror, I see a beautiful shade of black. Not too dark and not too light. My skin tone shows the Caucasian that’s in my blood. My body has many flaws that I try to embrace, but have difficulty embracing. I embrace my long legs I use to climb up the mountains of Ireland. I love my pretty smile. My moles resemble my beauty. My birthmarks are a permanent tattoo of my existence on this earth. My long thick brown hair turns color in the light. Through me, you see a strong willed person with determination. The media tells me any flaw I have I should fix like the broken engine of the car. I should cover up my every scar. I should pluck every hair growing out of my body. Use Proactive to remove a single pimple that will be on my face temporarily. Regardless of what the media tells me what I should do to my self-image, I am beautiful.
Kayla Mitchell is a 2010 GirlSpeak editor.
