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Scottie Beam On Colorism, Career and Combating Insecurities

"I'm going to be completely honest, I'm still not comfortable in my skin..."

Media personality Scottie Beam, formally of Hot 97 and "State of the Culture," talk show, stopped by BET's Black Coffee, to discuss everything from colorism, self-care and her most recent career changes.

Scottie sat down with hosts Marc Lamont Hill, Gia Peppers and Jameer Pond for a very transparent interview. While on the discussion of colorism in the industry, and the ongoing light skin vs. dark skin debate, the melanin beauty revealed she has been combating some internal issues that are deeper than skin deep.

"I'm going to be completely honest, I'm still not comfortable in my skin," the media personality admitted. "I've learned to embrace it, I've learned to accept it. But to be comfortable? Um, that's something I think [with] therapy, that I'm working through. I have to be completely honest and vulnerable," she revealed.

"I even had pink lipgloss on today and I had to take it off, because I always learned through microgressions or small things people will say, where they'll say, 'Dark skin women aren't supposed to wear light lipstick,' or whatever it is. So I never do."

The former radio personality also recounted a moment where a male colleague shared with her that he gives fairer shade women a "pass," when it comes to beauty standards.

"I remember a guy had said to me that he gives light skin women a pass, as far as looks, more than dark skin women. He was being very honest. He was like, 'A mediocre light skin girl is better than a beautiful dark skin girl."

Scottie then went on to discussed her regimen and personal steps towards embracing her flawless skin, including being inspired by other women of color, as well as "faking" her confidence until she felt what she portrayed to be.

"There are still moments where I have uncertainty, but I think getting there, or trying to embrace the skin that I have, came with loving Black women around me, and embracing those around me. Loving my aunts, loving that they loved their skin and they were unapologetic with it, and they let it shine and they didn't shy away from the sun.

Learning that they accepted, [and] they loved and they embraced their skin, I was like, 'I want to be that. I want to get there.' So I had to fake it until I made it in the beginning, [so that] I got to where I am today, where I had to tell myself certain things, and manifest me being this person I am now.

[I had to] tell myself, 'I'm going stand in this skin and love it one day.' But I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there. So therapy is how I got there. Loving Black people is how I got there."

Host Peppers, who also hosts the Black Girls Podcast alongside Beam, chimed in with her own personal experiences dealing with skin profiling and colorism.

"I personally have dealt with it a lot. I'm not the darkest on the spectrum, like chocolate... But, when I think about the times where I've gone against a lighter skin woman for a competition, [because] you know, any type of audition is a competition, there obviously have been times where it's like, 'Uh, she's a little.. just not the look we're going for.' It sucks because it's like, this is the skin that I was born into. So at the end of the day, how do I feel comfortable in it?

"I think what Scottie is doing, is so beautiful because every single day there is someone who looks like you, and me,  that is like, "Aw man, they're doing it! And they're in their skin and they're killing it." And even in the insecurities, you always show up. So I'm so proud of you, always," she told Beam.

When asked about her most career changes, Scottie, who once co-hosted alongside Joe Budden, Remy Ma and Jinx for the Revolt TV talk show, State of the Union, she cleared the air on any said "beefs," between her and her co-hosts.

"I decided to leave because I just wasn't happy in the space. I love my co-hosts, Jinx, Joe and Remy are all incredible human beings. I just feel like, I can't stay in a space, in any space, whether it be work, or in certain relationships, or situations, whatever it may be, I need to separate myself from it, and actually think things through. I'm not going to be happy in that space and be able to perform at a high rate if I'm not happy. So, I just had to go. I had to leave. They're great [people], and again, they're wonderful. There was no beef.

People have to be very aware that there are more opportunities to come. You can't just stay in the same space forever. Although that show wasn't forever, it was only one season, for me, it was like, "Ok, I've done what I was supposed to do here. So now that's next? And that's what I decided to do."

Check out the full interview here!

Black Coffee airs every weekday at 10 EST, only on BET Digital!

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