Curvy professor faces body-shaming on Instagram, gives it back in graceful manner

Washington, Dec 16: Sometimes, we are given to fight a wrong battle in life but nevertheless have to fight it to set things in order. Nerissa Reaves, a young college professor in the US, has a similar story and though she found herself at the receiving end for something which is not her fault, she had to do her bit to make the world understand the priorities.

According to a report in TODAY, Reaves dresses up as normally as any other person to work. She wears something which makes her comfortable and look presentable and even if she chooses to wear an apparently harmless dress, she has become a subject of negative discussion after a video of her teaching was posted on Instagram Live recently.

The reason for Reaves earning criticism on social media was her curvy physique and the critics felt the dress she was wearing was not appropriate for a classroom ambience. Also a part-time model, Reaves hasn't heard something about her body for the first time but what baffled her is that the latest remarks came when she was donning a serious role of an educator.

"I've been modeling on Instagram for the last two years and most of those pictures/videos were very sexy. I was tired of the world only seeing me in that light so I wanted to share other aspects of myself. Of course I love sharing my sensuality but there is so much more to me. In addition to modeling, I have experience as a restaurant owner, Japanese linguist, bed-and-breakfast owner and a teacher," TODAY Style quoted the woman as saying.

'In real life, it's different'

Reaves also took to Instagram to respond to the detractors over her choice of dress. She wrote on the social media platform: "I understand that my shape causes a lot of attention on social media but in real life it's a bit different. My students focus on the lectures and lessons and they all work hard to achieve results." The hard-hitting post went viral in no time.

She also said that more than her clothing, something similar to which is also worn by her fellow teachers and professors, it was her "anatomy" which was the real issue in this entire episode.

"I understand that many people see teachers from a very traditional lens but we live in a very nontraditional society - especially in 2018. Humanity is evolving and as we evolve, we must broaden our understanding of how we view ourselves and others," she said in yet another hard-hitting remark.

However, Reaves, who teaches English as a second language and writing, also said that her replying post on Instagram has brought her support and love in a high quantity. She said other women who face such experiences at their workplaces applauded her for standing her ground and that too without getting angry or upset. She also advised women who face body-shaming to hold on to their grounds and not allow others to define them.