Who Is Nyakim Gatwech?
Nyakim Gatwech is a model of South Sudanese roots who grew up in the United States after her family fled war. She became widely known around 2017, when photos of her went viral and people began calling her the “Queen of Dark.” The nickname comes from her very deep skin tone, which she has said she wants to celebrate instead of hide. Her story has been covered by outlets such as CBS Minnesota and HuffPost, and many readers search for her life story because it mixes migration, fashion and self-acceptance.
This article collects the facts about Nyakim Gatwech that are supported by interviews and news reports. Where sources disagree or a detail has no clear support, we say so plainly. That matters because many short biography pages repeat the same numbers without checking them. You will find her early life, her modeling career, a few notable moments, and answers to common questions at the end.
Nyakim Gatwech Quick Facts
The table below gives the basics. Some items come from a single source, so we mark them as reported instead of confirmed.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nyakim Gatwech |
| Known as | “Queen of Dark” |
| Profession | Model and social media personality |
| Birth date | Reported as January 27, 1993 (no clear source found) |
| Birthplace | Reported as Gambela, Ethiopia |
| Heritage | South Sudanese; family fled the Second Sudanese Civil War |
| Moved to the U.S. | Family accepted in April 2007; first settled in Buffalo, New York |
| Based in | Minneapolis, Minnesota (as of the reports we found) |
| Reported height | About 6 ft 1 in (unverified) |
| Brands linked to her | Calvin Klein, Fashion Nova, Aldo, Cosmopolitan (as listed in media reports) |
Early Life and Family Background
According to HuffPost, Nyakim was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia after her mother fled Sudan while pregnant. Her parents came from South Sudan, and her family moved between camps during the Second Sudanese Civil War, which ran from 1983 to 2005. She has said she lost a brother and a sister during these years. The brother is reported to have died of kidney failure in an Ethiopian camp. Wikipedia lists a birth date of January 27, 1993, but it gives no clear source, so treat that date with care.
When Ethiopian authorities blocked the family’s plans to leave, they moved on to Kenya. In the Kenyan camp, Nyakim read fashion magazines and watched America’s Next Top Model, and that is where her interest in modeling began. She has also said she has never been to South Sudan, yet she thinks of herself as South Sudanese. In 2007 the family was accepted into the United States and settled in Buffalo, New York. Reports say she was around 14 when she left the camps.
Growing Up in the United States
Life in Buffalo was hard at first. Nyakim has said she struggled with the language and with bullying about her dark skin. Those comments hurt her confidence, and she has talked about thinking of skin bleaching during that time. Later the family moved to Minnesota, and she has said she felt more accepted there. CBS Minnesota reported that she modeled in a fashion show at St. Cloud State University while she was still in high school.
Her school path is reported in different ways. Wikipedia says she studied nursing at St. Cloud State University, and a 2019 Face 2 Face Africa piece calls her a graduate of that school. A 2017 CBS Minnesota report instead says she was attending Minneapolis Community and Technical College and planned to study education later. Because the stories do not match, we cannot say which program she finished. The CBS report also says she wanted to become a teacher and a role model for young girls.
Modeling Career and Rise on Instagram
CBS Minnesota reported that Nyakim tried to sign with a modeling agency in New York City, but the process became too costly. She went back to Minneapolis and kept modeling while she studied. Early in her career, she has said, some photographers edited her photos to make her skin look lighter. She later chose to keep her natural look and deleted those edited pictures from her page. This decision became a core part of her public image.
Her big break came through social media. A “Different Melanin” photo shoot, which showed many skin tones within the Black community, went viral in 2017. CBS counted more than 300,000 Instagram followers in November 2017. By early 2022, Wikipedia listed about 985,000, though that figure is dated and has surely changed since. Media reports link her to Calvin Klein, Fashion Nova, Aldo and Cosmopolitan, and she appeared in promotional posters for the 2017 film Jigsaw. We could not find a clear list of her paid contracts, so the exact scope of those jobs is not confirmed.
Skin, Colorism and the “Queen of Dark” Name
The nickname “Queen of Dark” turned her into a public voice on colorism, which means treating people differently because of how light or dark their skin is. Nyakim has said her skin is beautiful and that there is nothing wrong with being different. She has also said she hopes the fashion industry does not treat Black models as a passing trend. Her message to young people is simple: do not let outside standards harm your sense of self. Many fans say this message is the reason her story spread so widely.
She has also described painful moments. In 2017 she told CBS that an Uber driver asked if she would bleach her skin for $10,000, and she refused. She said she still hears questions like this. Uber told CBS it has a zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and looks into reported incidents. Stories like this helped many readers see how everyday comments can wear a person down.
The Columbia University Comment
In a widely reported case, Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, then chair of the psychiatry department at Columbia University, shared one of her photos online. His comment called her either “a work of art or a freak of nature.” PIX11 reported that he was suspended and that he apologized in an email to colleagues, calling the remark racist and sexist. Nyakim told PIX11 the comment was “ignorant” and that she felt the suspension was not enough.
The report does not give the date, so we do not state one here. This episode matters because it shows how people often praise and insult a Black woman in the same sentence. It also shows why her story is discussed in conversations about respect and language. Readers who want the exact timeline should check the original news report.
Net Worth: What Can Be Said
Net worth figures for Nyakim Gatwech vary a lot. Black Enterprise ran a 2020 story with the word “allegedly” in its headline, and it cited a figure of about $4 million from another website. A Nigerian news site reported a much higher number. None of these pieces explains how the estimate was built.
For that reason we do not give a number as fact. Any estimate should be read as an unverified guess, as of 2026. Her income likely comes from modeling, brand work and social media, but we cannot confirm amounts. If an official statement or a verified financial report appears, this section can be updated.
Personal Life and Public Image
Nyakim keeps much of her private life out of formal interviews, and the sources we checked do not give reliable details on her family life today. Some websites claim to name partners or a husband, but those pages are mostly celebrity-gossip style and do not cite clear evidence. We chose not to repeat them. What is confirmed is her public work, her words in interviews and the events covered by news outlets.
She has also been honored in her community. CBS reported that she was the honorary guest at the South Sudan ACE Awards in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, around 2017. Her story continues to be shared on social platforms and in media features about beauty standards. A current post on her own verified accounts is the best place to look for her latest work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nyakim Gatwech?
Nyakim Gatwech is a South Sudanese-American model known as the “Queen of Dark.” Her family fled war and she grew up in the United States. She became famous through viral photos and her open talk about colorism.
Where was Nyakim Gatwech born?
HuffPost reports she was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia. Wikipedia lists Gambela, Ethiopia, and a birth date of January 27, 1993, but gives no clear source. Her family later lived in Kenya before moving to the U.S. in 2007.
Why is she called the Queen of Dark?
The nickname refers to her very deep skin tone. Fans and media began using it around 2017 when her photos spread online. She has said she wants to celebrate her natural skin and encourage others to do the same.
What is Nyakim Gatwech’s net worth?
No reliable figure exists. Websites give different numbers, and none explain how they were calculated. Any amount you see is an unverified estimate as of 2026.
Which brands has she worked with?
Media reports link her to Calvin Klein, Fashion Nova, Aldo and Cosmopolitan. We could not find a public list of her contracts, so the details of each job are not confirmed. She also appeared in promotional posters for the 2017 film Jigsaw.
Is Nyakim Gatwech on social media?
Yes, she is best known through Instagram, where her following grew quickly after 2017. Follower counts change often, so check her page for a current number. Be careful with fan pages that copy her name.
Accuracy Note
This biography is based on publicly available information, including interviews and news coverage. Some details, such as her birth date, school path and net worth, are not clearly confirmed, and we have marked them that way. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Usama Khan, contributor at lopin magazine.
Usama Khan is the founder and editor-in-chief of Lopin Magazine, where he oversees the site’s biography and news coverage with a focus on accuracy and well-researched storytelling.
