Neo-Soul/Afro-pop and mother-of-two, Lami Philips -Gbadamosi has revealed how she passed through a childhood that threatened her self love because she struggled with her looks as a child. This she did in an Instagram post baring a throwback picture.
Speaking about the sad period, the songstress revealed that she was never called pretty while growing up and knowing she was not the prettiest among her family members posed a very big threat to the love she would have had for herself at that time.
She added that her parent’s friends sometimes made statements about how black she was or why she looked like a boy. Some even wondered why she was dark skinned like her father compared to her mother’s light complexion.
Lami further disclosed how she was able to overcome these struggles.
Below is what Lami shared:
”Yeah.. that’s me.. the darkest person in the picture. I grew up “knowing” that I wasn’t the prettiest. My parents friends would joke “blacky”.. or ask me in Yoruba “ki lo de to se jo okunrin bayi “ ( why do you look so much like a boy).
I was told I was short and thick ( it sounds worse in Yoruba).. I was also asked why I looked like my dad. Why wasn’t I light skinned like my mother? So many questions… all somehow directed at making me subconsciously question the way I looked.
Over time.. I decided to ignore or compartmentalize those insecurities. I ignored the fact that I was somewhat unrecognizable in photographs or less favored for certain opportunities.
I was never called pretty as much as I can remember. I convinced myself that I was ordinary. Thank God for my sense of humour because I allowed it all dust off my shoulders by joking about it. So as a teenager when a boy said he liked me .. I wouldn’t believe it.
Why would he like me when there are others prettier than me? Little did I know that I was far from ordinary. Little did they know.. that I was beautiful… TO UNDERSTAND THE FRUIT WE MUST EXAMINE THE ROOT.
