Surviving Discrimination: The Mary Smrutha Paul Photo Story

By Mary Smrutha Paul | An UNfair & Beautiful contributor

I've endured a lot when I was younger and in school. While studying in an International school, I was made fun by my classmates. I'm skinny and dark, and adopted. I used to be laughed at all the time. The boys used to say that I looked like a Somalian refugee. I understand they were pre-teens and were just bullying girls, but that affected me a lot.

Even at home, growing up my Mom used to tell me that when I was adopted as a baby, I was really tiny and black as a crow. And there's proof to this statement as the same line was written in her biography book, Pioneering on the Pinda.

But as I grew older, I've learnt to accept my skin. Even now there are times where people mistake me for an African. But I just take it as a compliment because I think Africans are the most beautiful race.

Here are some images from a photoshoot in my Instagram account to promote awareness on dark-skin. I wanted to show something more bold - hence the yellow lips!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Smrutha Paul is a photographer from Hyderabad and also a freelancer in a lot of other creative fields.