ACCRA: Media personality MC Yaa Yeboah has shared her experiences of facing discrimination and bullying during her school years, revealing how a teacher’s comments about her skin color impacted her aspirations in the media industry. Despite these challenges, Yeboah has risen to success in her field.
According to Ghana Web, Yeboah recounted in an interview on the Delay Show with Deloris Frimpong Manso that her ambitions to become a TV presenter were once discouraged by a teacher who told her she was “too black” for the role. This remark, made by her Twi teacher at Achimota Preparatory School following a speech she delivered, left a lasting mark on her self-esteem.
“We had gone to another school, and I had read a poem. When I got backstage, she pulled me aside and told me, ‘You shouldn’t be in a hurry to be in the midst of people. You are not too beautiful; you can never be a TV presenter. You are too black to be on TV,'” Yeboah recalled.
Yeboah faced similar comments from classmates, which further eroded he
r confidence. She explained that being light-skinned was the prevailing beauty standard during her school years, compounding the effects of the teacher’s remarks. The bullying she experienced from peers often led to physical confrontations as she sought to defend herself.
“I was bullied by my classmates. Throughout school, I never felt pretty. So I used to fight a lot because that was the only language I understood. If anyone tried to come at me, I would beat that person up,” she disclosed.
Despite the setbacks, MC Yaa Yeboah has become a successful TV and radio presenter, voice-over artist, and MC, overcoming the early hurdles in her path.