To the girl who thinks her dark skin isn't beautiful,

I've become very aware of the way our world works within the past year. I've learned how our society functions, what we consider to be the "right" way, and the "wrong." Our society thrives on the binary system, where we are put into categorizations as a way to understand and control the population. I've learned that our society is toxic, and has only one way of being considered truly successful.

Women's rights have been an important issue to me for close to my whole life. I have been so concerned with all the problems women face, all the prejudice, double standards, and unfair treatment we face in everyday situations.

But it was just brought to my attention this past year that as a white feminist, I had not been covering all the bases. There was a whole other spectrum of challenges that faced women of color. My eyes have been opened, and my heart has been broken countless times.

I need you to know that you are beautiful. I don't need to see your face or body to tell you that. Society tells you that if you have dark skin, that you are ugly. If you are not thin or athletic, that your body is not "desirable." If you don't have perfect skin or thick eyelashes and eyebrows, that you are not up to beauty standards.

I'm not going to pretend that I know your struggle. There is no way that I can. White privilege is a very real thing, especially when it comes to our society's standard of beauty. But I know what it's like to believe that you're not beautiful, to feel insecure in your own skin, to have the words of others sting and drag you down. I know what it's like to be a teenager in an excruciatingly critical world, and it is anything but easy.

I am here to tell you that you are more than what people say about you. I know the thoughts you tell yourself, the self-loathing that sits in your chest, the belief that you'll never be good enough. And I need you to know that you deserve to be happy with yourself, to love yourself unconditionally. Everything about you is beautiful. From the texture of your skin to the iris of your eye, everything about you glows and radiates.

And I must also tell you that I think your skin, light or dark, is enchanting. The history, the culture, and the richness it holds is mesmerizing. I think that women of color are so beautiful, not only in their features but in the way they hold themselves. I love the way that so many are proud of their culture, that it lives on with them and is in everything that they do. I never want anyone to ever feel that they are not society's version of "pretty." How blind some people are to only see the physicality of a person.

Let me tell you something: the moment that you realize there is so much more to you than the negative and lesser opinions, the unachievable standards, and the physical obsession our society suffers from, you will unleash the greatest version of yourself humanly possible.

I am a firm believer that a lot of the issues in our world stem from insecurity and low self-esteem, which can most definitely impact people's thoughts, actions, and mindsets. We as a society need to start realizing that our self-hate mentality is more dangerous than we realize. We need to put an emphasis on teaching our younger generations to not only love one another but to love themselves. A person who believes in his/herself and is confident can do just about anything that they put their minds to.

We are often told to be humble, and that too much confidence is to be cocky, or full our ourselves. And that is true; no one likes someone who is narcissistic or self-centered. But I believe that many have taken this too far, retreated so far inside themselves that we truly do not believe we are worthy of our accomplishments, our love, and our dreams. We must work to find the balance, own who we are, and begin to believe that we are worth far more than we have allowed.

So I tell you, as a fellow human being, you are loved and appreciated for everything you give to this world. You are more than just your objectified face and body: you are a living and breathing person who the potential to really make a difference with the work and talent you have. We live in a world where the color of your skin dictates people's initial thoughts of you, I will not deny that, but we also live in a world that can be proven wrong. You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and do not let anyone ever tell you otherwise. There are those who will push you and believe in you.

But I will say this: your greatest motivator, supporter, and believer must come from within if you ever want to be truly successful and happy. No one can give you that kind of love besides yourself. And if you don't believe in yourself, you will never reach your true potential.

So tell yourself you are enough, that you matter, that you are going to give the world more than a "pretty face." Tell yourself you are beautiful, even if someone tells you that you aren't. Because this is me telling you that you are, inside and out. That is the type of thing you should be carrying around with you.

You are beautiful with your dark skin, and so, so much more.