120: Shweta Aggarwal: How a Computer Science Engineer moved from India to Japan & UK & became an Anti-Colourism activist

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To introduce my guest, I’m going to steal some rather uncomfortable, inconvenient facts from her new book. For hundreds of years, Asians, especially Indians, have believed that if you are fair, light skinned, it means that you are superior. That’s right – white supremacy doesn’t just exist among white people. Sadly, this is still the case even in modern, ‘liberated’ India. Global sales of skin lightening products are expected to cross $8.9 billion by 2024, according to the World Economic Forum.

Ever since the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 following the brutal murder of George Floyd, my guest found herself sharing innumerable stories with her husband and kids about her painful past. Ever wondered what persistent bullying will do to a 6 year old in the long term? Ask a 45 year old. Ask Shweta Aggarwal.
Shweta is an anti-colourism activist with a colourful life. A computer science engineer by trade, her passion is dance and writing. Shweta grew up in India and Japan, and has lived in the UK for almost 25 years. We have a lot to unpack with Shweta, and talk about things like how skin-tone bias affects racial equality at work and also, all things career pivots.

Learn more about Shweta Aggarwal: https://shwetaaggarwal.com/
Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackroseway/
https://www.instagram.com/theblackroseway/
Get The Black Rose and Shweta's other books:
https://shwetaaggarwal.com/product/the-black-rose/
The semi-final at Britain’s Got Talent 2010:
https://youtu.be/5CnWXjr68p4?si=dlSl1w-0rpR3A29J
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