South African media personality, Pearl Thusi has opened up on her battle with colourism and depression. Thusi in an interview with podcaster MacG talked about her battle with being light-skinned. She recounted burning her skin when she was a child for people to stop teasing her because she didn't grow up around other light-skinned people, and also darkening her skin to fit in with the people around her.
She said;
“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.”On her success story, Thusi added; “You can't say all I have is pure 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.”