On-air news reporters and anchors are pillars of poise. There can be disasters in the world, and mishaps in the newsroom, and they can still get in front of that camera and beam. That’s all the more impressive to us after reading a hurtful, racist letter Las Vegas traffic anchor Demetria Obilor shared on Twitter on Thursday.
The 26-year-old, who gives the morning traffic reports on KLAS 8 News Now, often wears her hair in gorgeous natural curls. As we’ve seen time and again, when a black woman decides to embrace her features, the trolls come out.
“Here’s one of the racist, hateful emails I’ve received for rocking my natural hair on TV,” she wrote, sharing a screen shot of the letter in which a person presumes her hair is unclean and smells bad…
“The first few times I got emails like that, I was enraged, but I knew if I responded (the way I wanted to) I’d probably lose my job,” Obilor told Yahoo Beauty via email. “And honestly, it’s not worth going back and forth via email with someone that ignorant. Instead, I tell high school tour groups who stop by the station about these sorts of experiences, so they can prepare themselves for what it’s going to take to work in this industry, keeping your composure and picking your battles. There’s nothing to be won cursing out some racist fool online — much to lose, though.”…
Finish reading: Las Vegas Traffic Reporter Shares Racist Letter About Her Natural Hair
HWH COMMENT: Because somebody thinks your hair smells isn’t hate. Get over your hair. Stop bringing white people into your hair decision making process. White people never told you to straighten your hair. Did they also tell you to wear tight-fitting short dresses and spike high heels and false eyelashes? Do you shave your legs and arm pits because white people held a gun to your head?
I have a dog who has hair like black people. If I let her hair grow naturally just because it’s natural, it kinks up, mats up and makes her uncomfortable. Do you let your finger nails and toe nails grow as long as they naturally can grow? How do you type or keep them clean – or wear shoes or walk with such long toe nails? Must be a lot of work – and very uncomfortable.
When your hair interferes with another’s field of vision, or when you get on a bus or a plane and you swat the person beside with your hair every time you turn your head, it’s no longer a vanity issue, it’s a public safety issue. And a cleanliness issue too. I don’t want somebody’s hair brushing up against me. What you never heard of lice? Black people or multi-national people don’t get infected with lice, just because they wear their hair naturally? There’s an epidemic of lice all over the world.
I don’t care what you do with your hair – nobody cares. You’re baiting people so you can call them racist. I think what you’re doing is racist.
Keep your hair out of my face and your racist baiting off the air. You also have rage tendencies that you referenced. Work on those.
Your need for attention at somebody else’s expense is immature and unprofessional.
HAPPY WHITE HORSE™ 