Cousins! Former Miss Colombia contender and Journalist Lina María Hurtado has recently revealed how racist comments on social media ultimately triggered a childhood memory surrounding her complexion.
In conversation with the weekly Colombia magazine Revista Semana, Lina revealed that she had tried to use Clorox bleach as a child to brighten her skin while bathing.
“I did it secretly from my parents. And I used it because it’s supposed to be a whitener.” She explained that she wanted to bleach her skin because she was under the impression that, “being white was good.”
“As a girl in the midst of how illogical it could be, I applied it and rubbed it in. And I did a lot of damage to my skin.”
Lina was named a finalist in the Miss Colombia 2023 pageant. Ultimately contestant Camila Avela was named this year’s winner in Barranquilla, Colombia.
As a contestant Lina actively advocated for women’s empowerment and societal beauty standards amongst Black women in Spanish-speaking countries; she faced distasteful comments surrounding her complexion on social media.
According to Blavity, social media users took to Twitter advising Lina that she would be a better contestant for Miss Africa because of her dark skin.
Further in her interview, Lina expressed that she will continue to be a social advocate for women like her who face racism in her native country. She confirms that she plans to launch a skincare line in effort of encouraging Black women to love the skin their in.
Since Lina’s interview began to circulate throughout social media, fellow online users have become more vocal about their own experiences.
Sadly, racism and discrimination within Spanish countries amongst people who are of darker skin color are common.
“This is a subject that need to be talked about,” says Lina. “This is evidence of how racism becomes a public health problem.”