Our Story

One Saturday afternoon in May of 2004, I tuned into a program on television about the making of music videos. I didn’t find the show particularly interesting until a video vixen stated the following: “Chocolate women are just as beautiful as light-skinned sisters.  But for some reason, they seem to get all of the major play in the videos.”

My heart went out to this woman who had probably been looked over for lead roles because of her complexion. Unfortunately, I could empathize. You see, from an early age, I had witnessed the preferential treatment extended to those with less melanin in their skin. They were viewed as beautiful, smart, and “acceptable” according to society’s standards, and the far-reaching negative tentacles of colorism. It did not matter whether or not they could string two sentences together. As long as they were light, they were alright. My half-caste grandmother often described fair-skinned folk as “Clean looking.” I do not believe that she meant to imply that I was brown and dirty. However, I have not forgotten the implication of her comment.

Later that night, I was restless and could not sleep. Thoughts about creating a platform to inspire and encourage acceptance of black and brown beauty flooded my mind. Out of the many ideas that my heavenly Father presented to me, Shades of Mocha was born. 

 Whether you’re a Chocolate or Caramel Cutie, A Little Brown Sugar that is Good for one’s Soul, or A Mocha Angel that is Undeniably Precious, we’ve got you covered. If you’re Latina Licious, Latte Licious, Chocolate, or Vanilla, we’ve got you covered. And if you know that Dark Chocolate Tastes Good and A Little Mocha Goes a Long Way, we've got you covered.  Shades of Mocha represents us all!