A Dallas traffic reporter who was slammed for her natural hair in May is keeping things classy in her response to a body shamer. Demetria Obilor, who works for the city’s ABC affiliate, said she woke up from her nap on Friday, Nov. 4 to a hubbub of controversy over her on-air outfit choices.
“The controversy is coming from people who aren’t too happy with the way that I look on television,” says Obilor, who began on anchoring for Channel 8 in October. “[They’re] saying, ‘Oh, her body is too big for that dress’ or ‘She’s too curvy,’ or, ‘Her hair is unprofessional, we don’t like it!’ … This is the way that I’m built. This is the way I was born. I’m not going anywhere, so if you don’t like it, you have your options.”
Addressing the haters, showing love to my ppl 💗 and thank you @chancetherapper 💯 pic.twitter.com/ks2cTSuLLe
— Demetria Obilor (@DemetriaObilor) November 3, 2017
Obilor addressed a Facebook user named Jan Shedd, who went viral after her social media diss of the Nigerian-American woman went viral.
“Has anyone seen Channel 8’s new morning traffic reporter?” Shedd wrote in a post that is no longer publicly viewable. “Her name is Demetria Obilor & she’s a size 16/18 woman in a size six dress and she looks ridiculous.”
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Shedd found herself at the center of criticism soon after, with one Twitter user digging in especially hard.
This is precisely how women of color are treated in the workplace wearing the same exact shit the white girls have on. pic.twitter.com/kAhRs0zX9B
— DaBean (@HoneyBadger10) November 3, 2017
But Shedd claimed she didn’t realize the race of Obilor, whose father is Nigerian while her mother is white.
“Frankly, I didn’t even notice that she was Black,” Shedd wrote. “I was shocked that Channel 8 would put someone on the air that dressed so provocatively.”
— HunniE (@lyfeasebbie) November 3, 2017
However, it wasn’t all negativity. Many quickly swooped in to support Obilor, including Chance the Rapper.
BIIIIIIG MAD https://t.co/E9yzWbU9m8
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) November 3, 2017
Demetria Obilor girl you keep doing you. Your killing the game in my former hometown at my favorite news channel.👀👀👀
— Ray Ricardo (@Ricram39) November 6, 2017
Affirming @DemetriaObilor this morning. We are here for you, sis! #WOCAffirmation https://t.co/kr4Y2UjAZq
— April (@ReignOfApril) November 5, 2017
