Pearl Thusi: I had to darken my skin to fit in

The debate around colourism and the privilege that comes with being light-skinned is one that has trended as many times as Micheal Jackson moonwalked. And while many people have shared their thoughts on the issue, one media personality has always been in the middle of these robust debates.

Pearl Thusi got real about experiencing colourism, saying it started when she was a girl.

In an interview with podcaster MacG, the Queen Sono actress opened up about the trials of being light-skinned. Though she has been vocal in the past about her views on colourism, the star said it ran deeper than the backlash she has received online.

Thusi spoke about darkening her skin to fit in with the people around her.

“I used to burn my skin when I was a child for people to stop teasing (me). I didn’t grow up around other light-skinned people.

“These people think this ‘light-skinned’ thing started with them. I have had this conversation since I was 11. People think this conversation is new. I had believed I had worked so hard that I had passed that conversation about the colour of my skin.”

While she addressed many things in the interview, she also hit back at her critics on Twitter: “People are upset that I don’t subscribe to the norms of Black Twitter.”

Speaking about her success, Thusi said: “You can’t say all I have is purely because of something I can’t change and expect me to accept that. You can’t! That’s rude! I am going to defend my work. I worked really hard. I have slept in parking lots because I was too tired to drive home.”

She also discussed her relationship with her former partner, sports journalist Robert Marawa.

Watch the interview here: