Even though the Guinness Book of Records is yet to recognize “The Blackest Person in the World”, the South Sudanese model Nyakim Gatwech, from all records has been dubbed for this position and has even earned the name “The Queen of the Dark”.
Despite Nyakim’s early struggles with colorism and acceptance into the beauty industry, she has withheld her guts and shattered the traditional beauty standard with her unique hue. She has also influenced many brands and inspired a lot of young girls in the world.
Aside from Nyakim, the likes of Khoudia Diop, Adonis Bosso, Alek Wek, and Victor Ndigwe also have their melanin popping.
31-Year-Old Nyakim Gatwech is Considered the Blackest Person in the World
Nyakim Gatwech is the youngest of 6 children born to her on January 27, 1993, during the brutal Sudanese civil war. At that time, her parents in Maiwut, South Sudan had to flee to Gaambela, Ethiopia where they birthed and raised their daughter.
Nyakim remained in Ethiopia until the age of 4 when her parents migrated to Kenya. At 14, the family moved to the United States and settled in Buffalo, New York before moving to Minneapolis.
The world’s blackest woman revealed in an interview that after moving to the United States, her confidence was shattered and the people around her impacted her interest in beauty. Nonetheless, she held onto her pride in her heritage and pursued a career in the beauty and modeling industry.
As for her education, she attended a local school in Ethiopia and later enrolled at Cloud State University.
She Has Not Been Recognized as the Blackest Person in the World by the Guinness World Records
Despite the model’s popularity as “The World’s Blackest Person” and even earning the nickname “The Queen of the Dark”, Nyakim Gatwech’s unique skin tone is yet to be recognized by the Guinness World Records.
In 2020 Nyakim went viral after a Facebook post claimed that she had been recognized by the Guinness World Records. However, these claims were refuted through a tweet published by the Guinness World Records. According to the Book of Fame, they do not monitor records for skin tone.
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Nyakim Gatwech Currently Pursues a Career in the Beauty and Modelling Industry
Despite the discrimination Nyakim faced for her deep melanin skin tone, she managed to get into the modeling industry. She unexpectedly began her career while at the Kenyan camp where she was privileged to watch “American Next Top Model” as well as the fashion magazine. When she finally to the United States where her career would kick off, she faced bullying and colorism.
Nonetheless, she kept putting herself out as a part-time model and school teacher until she became a viral sensation after sharing her experience with an Uber driver. According to her, the driver asked if she would ever bleach her dark black complexion for $10,000. When she asked why, he noted that life would be much easier for her which made her laugh.
Following this, she shared more experiences she had both on and out of social media. Her story soon earned more followers on social media and this came with many opportunities as well. So far, she has influenced a lot of brands such as Aldo, L’Oreal, Annabelle Cosmetics, Calvin Klein, Fashion Nova, and Cosmopolitan.
In addition to this, Nyakim has become an inspiration for many young girls all over the world and an advocate for diversity in the fashion industry. On career advice, she said;
Don’t let anyone shatter your dreams, don’t give up if you get rejected, try harder, and never quit.
The Blackest Person in the World Nyakim Gatwech is Worth $ 4 Million
At age 14 when Nyakim started getting bullied and called “too dark”, she probably didn’t know that her dark skin tone would later cost several millions. While her wealth keeps increasing every time, she has been estimated at $4 million at the time of this writing.
Aside from her modeling career, she makes money from influencing brands as well as other gigs.
Other Blackest People in the World
Even though Nyakim has comfortably occupied the position of the blackest person in the world, she isn’t the only one with unique dark skin. From our research, there are several people whose melanin is nothing short of beautiful.
- Khoudia Diop
Also known as the melanin queen, Khoudia’s unique skin tone makes her one of the blackest people in the world. Like Nyakim, she was bullied as a child, but she managed to stay focused and redefine the beauty standards.
At the age of 15, she got into the beauty industry and later caught the attention of brands such as Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Chanel. She has also fronted magazines like Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar.
- Adonis Bosso
Another person with a striking dark skin tone is the model Adonis Bosso. He started his career in the beauty industry sometime in 2009. Since then, he has remained renowned in the industry thanks to his unique dressing style and tone.
He has worked for brands such as TOM FORD, Thom Browne, Belstaff, Dolce & Gabbana, and Banana Republic.
- Alek Wek
Since infancy, Alek has battled a skin condition known as psoriasis which is linked to her skin tone. The condition causes her skin cells to multiply too quickly making patches of her skin scaly and inflamed.
Alek started to heal from the condition when she moved to London and decided to pursue a career in the beauty industry as a model. Following this journey, she has influenced several brands.
