Power 107.5 DJ lilD Shares her Journey From Tragedy to Triumph
By: Eartha Terrell When Columbus Power 107.5 evening “Word Eye Heard” radio host Dee “lilD” Porter steps on the scene, one thing is for sure; her listeners are guaranteed to be entertained.
Porter’s DJ style is in-your-face, comedic and flamboyant. She laughs, as she explains that if she isn’t absolutely exhausted from giving her fans her all every time she steps on the mic, then she’s done something wrong.
Her dedication to her audience is a reflection of her commitment to her craft, driven by her desire to one day be on a syndicated show. The Louisiana State University alumna lives by a strenuous work ethic. Before working at Power 107.5, Porter pounded the pavement of Cleveland, Ohio’s streets where she worked tirelessly, determined to make her mark.
“I hustled so hard in Cleveland. I lived in a little apartment, but my bills were paid. I took that $11.00 an hour and flipped it to $45,000, and on the days where I only had $12.00 for the week, I had a goal in mind.”
With all the confidence she exudes on air, it’s almost hard to believe just years before, Porter was drowning in a sea of low self-esteem, nearly ending her life during a failed suicide attempt. “I took 12 pills and went to sleep. And I was so mad like why am I still alive…I’m from Louisiana, and If you didn’t have long hair and light skin, you weren’t pretty…I grew up feeling worthless.”
Where some may have been undertaken by the whole ordeal, Porter took another route. After surviving, she became committed to healing life-long wounds and feelings of inadequacy one positive affirmation at a time.
Her journey from brokenness to positivity is what inspired her to create her nonprofit organization, You Go G.I.R.L (Grinding In Real Life), which works to empower young girls and help them reach their full potential. As part of her nonprofit, she’s created #12daysofChristmas where she escorts young girls as they spend a day in the shoes of women in their aspired career.
“Sometimes girls think that their idea are far-fetched and are as intrigued as me,” she explains.
While her journey has been anything, but perfect, it’s the challenges that she’s faced that have created a contagious passion for life.
“I want people to know that my heart was bigger than my mouth, and let little girls know that they can reach for the stars.”
Be sure to follow Porter on IG and Twitter @LILDonAIR, Snapchat @lildonair.
