"Melanin Goddess" Model Slams the Bullies Who Hate on Her Dark Skin Tone

Nineteen-year-old Khoudia Diop has been bullied her whole life because of her dark skin. But instead of taking those hateful comments to heart, she learned to embrace her complexion — which has earned her a modeling career.

She has only been modeling for two years but has gained quite a following on social media, boasting over 240,000 fans on Instagram alone. Here, she shares images of herself as well as beauty tips (she uses AJ Crimson Dual Skin Creme Foundation in Eight ($35)) and screenshots of racist comments.

One woman said that if she had Khoudia's dark skin, she would "triple bleach my soul because my reflection may scare me." Khoudia laughed it off. "Waking up and seeing my chocolate ass in the mirror is the first thing I do everyday and I can tell you how priceless it is to me and how bad I want to marry myself everytime I see my smile in the mirror. It doesn't scare me at all because it is who I am and I love it."

Khoudia told The Daily Mail that she wants "to inspire other young women of color and empower them. I want them to know that they can do and be anything they dream of." She also believes that there should be more diversity on runways. (Designers, are you listening?) We can't wait to see what becomes of this promising model's career. Read on to see more stunning photos of Khoudia.