We all deal with vitiligo in one way or another, but we all share the same inner battle. Amid plenty of “Why me?” questions, there is one book that can help you make peace with your vitiligo and reaffirm your faith in god. Latoya Wallace’s latest book ‘The Darkside that Birthed my Worship’ draws inspiration from her own vitiligo journey. The book attempts to encourage and inspire vitiligo fighters by letting them know that they are not alone and they can live through it, unapologetically.
‘The Darkside that Birthed my Worship’ journals personal encounters Latoya faced as a little girl growing up with vitiligo. It lists all those whispers that once had her bound to the point of attempting suicide. “I share how I wanted to die and not live anymore. I speak about the darkest times of my life and my journey to gaining confidence. How God saved me from the mental torment and helped me emerge victorious in the face of adversity is broadly the theme of The Darkside that Birthed my Worship,” Latoya reveals contents of the book.
Latoya was diagnosed with vitiligo when she was 12 years old. The Chicago native recalls her vitiligo journey: “By the time I reached High School, I was known as Spots or Racoon face. I was bullied and almost raped by a guy who wanted to check if my private area had white patches as well.”
There was a time Latoya was desperately wanting to be accepted. She ended up getting pregnant at the age of 17, looking for someone to love her. The Darkside that Birthed my Worship explores her relationship with God and that place of darkness within her, which ultimately became an altar of worship.
But, how did this book come into existence? Latoya once walked into a grocery store and saw a young lady that was around 16 years old. She had vitiligo and her head was down. She was the bagger. “I stopped her and lifted her head up to let her know that she is beautiful. I went on to tell her my story in an attempt to encourage her. This was the first time I openly spoke about it. Since I have been wanting to share my story with my children and everyone with vitiligo, this very much incidence made me conceptualize a book,” Latoya tells us more.
The Darkside that Birthed my Worship is available on Amazon for sale.