My very first account was @BlackBarbie, which is what my friends called me growing up. Then I thought, 'You can either call yourself that, or you can find something that will matter to dark-skinned girls.' So I came up with @melaniin.goddess.

I was teased a lot, growing up, because of my skin tone.

I was born in Senegal in 1996. My mom moved to New York when I was two years old, so I was raised by my aunt back home.

Kids used to tease me and call me 'fille des etoiles,' which translates to 'daughter of the stars.'

My family and I go every year to Lake Tahoe for Fourth of July. It is honestly my favorite place in the world to spend time with my family.

For women, the important ingredients for happiness are to forge an identity, serve the Lord, get an education, develop your talents, serve your family, and, if possible, to have a family of your own.

People who were close to me - family and friends - they knew about my sexuality.

I think the arts are absolutely necessary for children to be creative and express themselves because every child is different.