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Music credits: https://youtu.be/vUUVEvffzSI?si=qseUhzp1jncBwJZz
Graphics credit to: @olorinillustration
#RidingTheWaves #MelanesianMentalHealth #colourism #IndigenousWisdom
In this episode of Riding the Wave, host Meiva Vuniwai and co-host Gabrielle Tor are joined by special guest Elsie Polosovai — Miss Solomon Islands 2024–2025, actress, and emergency medical dispatcher — for a rich and honest conversation about colourism in Melanesian communities. Together, they explore how skin tone bias shows up in subtle, everyday ways: in family jokes, social media, beauty standards, and the language we inherit. They reflect on the deep connection between colourism and mental health, the colonial roots of these beauty ideals, and the power of representation and intergenerational awareness. The episode ends on a note of pride and empowerment, reminding young Melanesians that they don't need to fit a narrow definition of beauty — because they already belong.
Music Credit to: Vanuatu Women's Water Music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5P87MTISUA
