All About Nuances: An Interview with Rokhaya Diallo
How about we have a chat with Rokhaya Diallo?
Rokhaya Diallo—a journalist, activist, and committed Black woman—is our new guest. She’ll talk to us about Black skin, how it’s portrayed, and why it’s important to speak out.
1/ How do you feel about your skin these days?
I’m very comfortable in my own skin—in the figurative sense of the phrase “feeling good about yourself.” And when it comes to skincare, I keep it pretty simple. I’ve always moisturized my skin with very simple creams. I have dry skin, so I moisturize it daily; I don’t do much else, and I wear very little makeup. I wear it a lot for work, but it’s true that it’s not part of my regular beauty routine.
2/ What was the turning point that led us to stand up for our Black skin, our culture, and our history in our daily lives?
The turning point was, on the one hand, a personal one, when I realized that my skin color prompted questions in people who saw me—questions that had nothing to do with how I came across. To be specific, I was born in Paris, where I grew up, and my parents are from Senegal. That’s something I’m very proud of!
But as I got older and progressed through my studies, I realized that some people, when they saw me, didn’t see me as French and asked me questions that placed me in some imagined “elsewhere.” An “elsewhere” that wasn’t even my parents’ home. They were slapping a whole bunch of stereotypes on me that had nothing to do with who I really am.
That made me want to deconstruct the prejudices associated with this skin color.
This isn’t just about Black skin. People of Asian or North African descent are also affected, due to their appearance or their surnames.
That was the turning point that led me to question what I thought was my visible identity—which, in reality, was hidden because it implicitly referred to my skin color.
3/ You're often in the United States—what's the difference between France and the U.S. in this regard?
That’s a question I find difficult to answer. There is a difference in history but not in substance when it comes to racism in France and the United States. It’s true that the United States was founded on racial violence, genocide, and the mass deportation of African people to enslave them. France’s foundations are not strictly tied to the same elements. But we cannot deny that France has an American history. It is still present today on the American continent, with the Caribbean and the territory of French Guiana. We have similar roots, even if they manifest themselves differently. In the United States, history is closely tied to Black Americans. In France, people of North African descent are also severely affected by racism. To fully answer the question, it would take a book—or several. However, while our countries are completely different, it is not absurd to compare them.
4 / What is your new project?
This is a comic book I'm creating with the illustrator Blachette! It explores the questions and demands placed on women when they speak out in public. It is currently being published by Marabulles.
5/ What advice would you give for feeling more comfortable in your own skin?
Don’t try to change it! We’re born with skin that has its own complexities and complexion. We need to accept it just as it is.
We can also take steps to help it reach its full potential—not just by moisturizing, but also by paying attention to our diet, drinking plenty of water, and eating a balanced diet.
We need to accept the skin we have and let it perform at its best.
The best thing we can do for our skin is to take good care of ourselves and spare it from any form of toxicity—whether dietary, chemical, or mental. After all, our state of mind is also reflected in our skin. It’s important to protect ourselves on every level so that this is reflected physically, and so we can live more comfortably with our skin.
How do you feel about your skin? Tell us using the hashtag #ToutEnNuances on social media. Every month, you could win a Nuhanciam skincare product!
