Miss South Africa Zozibini Tunzi has dedicated a post to her critics
The small-town girl from Tsolo, Eastern Cape was crowned a month ago but has faced a startling amount of scrutiny over her win.
She's been the subject of an offensive poll on Metro FM, has been critiqued over her looks by Phat Joe and even DJ Cleo had something to say about her short, natural hair.
But Zozibini is using the public attention and her platform to speak out on the ongoing debate of colourism in society and in beauty pageants.
She's also hoping to change the beauty perceptions of dark-skinned women.
She wrote in her post; "To comments that are aimed at all brown skinned girls at some point in our lives. Not because it hurts me or gets under my skin, but because I see an opportunity to educate and speak out on a serious issue.
"Society has previously been programmed in such a way that there's nothing beautiful about being black. The furthest you are from being fair skinned the uglier you are. That unfortunately has been the universal standard of beauty and it is very difficult for some people to unlearn it.
Zozibini is hoping to shake things up with during her appearance at the Miss Universe pageant later this year
"I am going into Miss Universe with hopes to shatter whatever misconception and stereotypes people have of beauty. These comments are exactly why we should keep inserting ourselves in spaces where we have been told we do not belong and we will never make it. It is up to us re-write the narrative.
Zozibini concluded her message by affirming her pride of her black skin; "To whoever else thinks that black is not beautiful I cannot wait for you to experience the depth and magic of a black woman. I am a daughter of the African soil and I am beautiful. See your face reflected in mine??
It's been a busy few days for the 25 year-old who is currently in New York City.
She's walked the runway at New York Fashion week, hung out with Trevor Noah on set at The Daily Show and has been interviewed by Essence magazine.
She's also met another beauty queen naturalista, Miss USA Cheslie Kryst
Watch out world, this brown-skinned girl is going places!
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image credit: Twitter @Official_MissSA