This is an odd story: I Have Questions About That White Lady Who Maybe Pretended to Be Black

[JonLP24]

The leader of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the NAACP is being accused of pretending to be a black woman. The mother of Rachel Dolezal has come forward to assert that her daughter is actually a white woman who has pretended to be black for the last nine or so years.

Rachel Dolezal’s mother spoke to the Spokesman-Review about the hot mess of a situation of her daughter masquerading as a black woman:

She said her daughter began to “disguise herself” in 2006 or 2007, after the family had adopted four African-American children and Rachel Dolezal had shown an interest in portrait art.

“It’s very sad that Rachel has not just been herself,” Ruthanne Dolezal said. “Her effectiveness in the causes of the African-American community would have been so much more viable, and she would have been more effective if she had just been honest with everybody.”

There is also the matter of an interview with Spokane’s KXLY4 where Dolezal is unable to respond to the relatively simple question of: “Are you African American?”

<snip>

This story has the distinct honor of being both incredibly offensive, yet not at all offensive, as well as hilarious. One thing I must say: If this really was one giant ruse, girlfriend committed to that shit. Not only is she the President of her local chapter of the NAACP, but she’s also an Africana Studies professor. Rachel wasn’t playing around with y’all.

No doubt there is more to this story—because sweet God, there has to be—and Rachel Dolezal will likely cry her way through an off-the-charts awkward interview with Anderson Cooper sometime soon. However, for now, this story raises a whole hell of a lot more questions than it answers. Here are some of those questions.

http://jezebel.com/i-have-questions-about-that-white-lady-who-maybe-preten-1710807777

I don't know anything about this except for what that author included, I didn't watch the video as I'm curious as to what is behind the interest to ask the question (I have yet to watch the 8:55 video of the reporter's question) or the picture of her Caucasian kids so don't know what exactly she is saying or not saying as far as her ethnicity

This is the source the column cites

Credibility of local NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal questioned

Controversy is swirling around one of the Inland Northwest’s most prominent civil rights activists, with family members of Rachel Dolezal saying the local leader of the NAACP has been falsely portraying herself as black for years.

Dolezal, 37, avoided answering questions directly about her race and ethnicity Thursday, saying, “I feel like I owe my executive committee a conversation” before engaging in a broader discussion with the community about what she described as a “multi-layered” issue.

“That question is not as easy as it seems,” she said after being contacted at Eastern Washington University, where she’s a part-time professor in the Africana Studies Program. “There’s a lot of complexities … and I don’t know that everyone would understand that.”

Later, in an apparent reference to studies tracing the scientific origins of human life to Africa, Dolezal added: “We’re all from the African continent.”

Dolezal is credited with re-energizing the Spokane chapter of the NAACP. She also serves as chairwoman of the city’s Office of Police Ombudsman Commission, where she identified herself as white, black and American Indian in her application for the volunteer appointment, and previously was education director for the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene.

In recent days, questions have arisen about her background and her numerous complaints to police of harassment. Members of her family are challenging her very identity, saying she has misrepresented major portions of her life.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jun/11/board-member-had-longstanding-doubts-about-truthfu/

Common in interracial marriages there is a member close in their family tree, but would still probably qualify before but this is a very strange story. The first 7:55 was questions about hate crimes before the reporter slips a "why did your dad miss" or something about missing the Spokane cookout -- she became suspicious of the question, especially with the follow-ups like why exactly are the journalists digging behind this but asked several minutes of hate crimes questions before throwing that one out there but she was asking "why are you asking this?" then literally fled the interview. If it was similar to the common scenario then it makes no sense with the evasive answers such as "We're all from Africa".

Reluctant to post this as don't know what has been leading up to the local article on her and the interview who asked seemingly a whole bunch of hate crimes questions just to surprise her with the father not showing up at a cookout or something -- like there was to be more or something to this story. Rather than a regular person this is a head of a NAACP so this was something new I haven't seen before.

[Warpy]

1. I doubt she did any of it for malicious reasons

and who knows? She might have done some good while she acted out her fantasy. You just never know.

Some people simply hate who they are so much that they are compelled to be other people. The worst of those are the ones who try to build sympathy by pretending to have a deadly illness. The worst of those collect money for the nonexistent illness.

She's been outed now and she's got some hard choices to make. I hope one of them is to get into therapy and figure out why she felt compelled to do this. A lot of people find it incredibly offensive and she shouldn't risk doing it again.

[JonLP24]

18. There wasn't any that I could see

malicious reasons. She handled all the hate crime questions real professional with nothing that I could hear that I disagree with -- just the unusual evading from the background questions but unless I got dates mixed up she's been there since '06 figuring she's been doing a decent job at that post but I'm curious where the reporter interest & digging is coming from like going the extra mile to fact check her -- asking 8 minutes of questions that pertain to her job before sneaking the father & the cookout thing. If the reports are true or the right idea it would be a first to misidentify but there is probably a logical reason for her doing so but literally fleeing was so strange as usually there is decline to answer and moving away but she took off. Not that she has to answer those questions but she could be better off handling them honestly or in a way causing potentially misunderstandings but you're probably right on therapy.

Nothing ugly from what I could tell or anything that personally bothered me just that it was strange and fascinating all the way around from the reporter interest, coverage, and everything else related to the story.

[CJCRANE]

2. I have a friend who claims to be from a wealthy background

and went to all the best private schools.

Except we grew up together in the same nondescript small town.

His act works on people who don't know him and he even seems to believe it himself now.

But when the old gang gets together he reverts back to his old self after a few beers.

[immoderate]

3. This may be a case of 'a black woman trapped in a white woman's body...'

She should be able to express her identity freely.

--imm

[big_dog]

5. all of her adopted sisters and brothers are black

?74a72ef94756bccc16ea1c78066b52f96b62dbc7 http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jun/11/board-member-had-longstanding-doubts-about-truthfu/

[immoderate]

8. Well then, there's that...

--imm

[JustAnotherGen]

9. Wait -

I'm confused - I've been seeing that picture - and I thought maybe she was a stepmom and those were her kids.


Now, I'm really confused.

[kwassa]

11. Adopted children, actually.

Her husband and children are black.

[shanti]

12. she has one child from her former marriage

to a black man. the children in the wedding picture are her adopted siblings. one of the siblings, the oldest, 21, lives with her now, but she is claiming that he is her son. this adopted child has disowned his (adoptive) parents, as has the woman.

are you more confused than ever?? lol

[JustAnotherGen]

13. I'm extremely confused

[kwassa]

14. How can they be her siblings?

Unless Rachel's parents adopted the children. The photo identifies them as her adopted children. Is this not correct?

[shanti]

15. yes, they are her adopted siblings

three are AA and one is Haitian.

[LisaL]

31. How? Her parents adopted them as babies.

[LisaL]

30. The older one is her adopted brother.

Not her son, according to her parents.

[snagglepuss]

26. lol. nt

[marym625]

4. wow

[JustAnotherGen]

6. It's very odd

The deceit - is what I think is getting people.

I belong to a site of mostly black women - and the thread there is - uh healthy.

Someone pulled together images over the years (her transformation) and it's kind of amazing. We're all trying to figure out if that's a wig and how she got perfect tan without the orange?

[Baclava]

7. there is no question she was born a Montana-American

[big_dog]

10. family tree

?w=700

[kwassa]

16. "Passing for black? Now that's a twist"

great commentary.

I also know some very white-looking black people. Not uncommon in the DC area.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/12/opinions/rachel-dolezal-france/

They said their daughter, who reportedly earned a master's degree from the historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., and is a professor of Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University, began to "disguise herself" as black after the family adopted four African-American children.

Don't get me wrong, I am a proud black woman who grew up in a family that is incredibly diverse and has such a heritage of hues that my parents were once questioned in a store as to where they "got that white baby from," as they carted around my fair-skinned and light-eyed infant nephew.

But with all the heated debate over race relations and the treatment of minorities by law enforcement, which has resulted in unrest and more than a few black mothers burying their sons and daughters, I was both flabbergasted and intrigued by any claim that a white woman would willingly pass as black.
...................

The truth of the matter is that when it comes to race, you just can't tell from looking.

One of my closest friends, Jill Hudson, is a stunning woman and the product of two African-American parents. Yet she is so light, with straight hair, that when I excitedly shared with Baltimore Sun co-workers that "a new, black reporter" had been hired to cover police in Howard County, I was asked, when she showed up for her first day on the job: "Where is the new black reporter?"

[JonLP24]

34. Not uncommon at all

I've known a woman to be darker than 3 of her brothers and her 1 sister that I've seen a picture of or I met. Her sister noticeably much lighter like would generally be considered "caucasian" -- all from their white mother though don't know details on fathers or what not but remember the wild speculation but well aware of the truth of the matter and genetics. I was figuring there would be something like a parent or grandparent or something close she was identifying with though as far as having known white parents and known white grandparents (unless someone took their Cherokee ancestor stories in the family too seriously) identify, generally as something other than white. I don't follow the personal relationships of Michael Jackson but remember speculation years ago those kids couldn't be his, biologically, because they look too white which was here at DU and remember posters correcting them how genetics could be more strongly inheireted here or there -- don't remember what the issue was or if there was an issue outside the speculation but just know that "you just can't tell from looking".

Plus, in America it is most likely European Americans have African ancestry & vice versa. Something like 1% indicates you have a hidden black relative in the last 200 years or so since the beginning of the United States.

What I meant was it would be unusual for me for someone with known white parents, grandparents or great-parents (don't know if that is case with the woman behind the story) to deny they are white and say they are this. Unheard of I don't know, she could be making a biological statement but don't know enough or know the reasons behind the dodging.

[wheniwasincongress]

17. This whole thing makes me uneasy.

The amount of which this story is being covered, in particular. I am sure Fox will be all over this. This seems like a woman with some issues whose parents are really doing something awful by being public with it and giving interviews; throw in the race factor and the NAACP and you have a great story for Fox. It makes me really uncomfortable, and it is irrelevant to anything important...yet it seems to be twisted into something that speaks negatively of the NAACP and black causes. I can't quite properly describe my feeling on it, but I don't like how this is a huge story.

[JonLP24]

19. I feel the same way

for a lot of the reasons you mentioned -- It was linked on the side of a Deadspin article posted in the Sports forum and ended up there, was reluctant to post because -- well wasn't sure what to expect as this kind of story is uncharted territory for me but was worried it could turn into an ugly debate though no idea what over but there seems to be ugliness surrounding it but you could be seeing the twisting but so far all I got was making negative about her like an effort to take her down over this controversy. not sure by who or who tipped off the reporters and for what reason? Don't see what yet that is being spun as reflecting negatively on the NAACP. You're right about the parents airing the personal issues out there and doing a disservice if they're legitimately concerned.

Not aware at all if this is big or not (outside of Spokane anyway) but not intending to make a national story, just saw a strange story not just her but the investigative reporting & where the interest is coming from and way such as who tipped the reporters? Was looking for feedback mainly because I wasn't sure if I understand it correctly and usually post news of the strange more often than not if I do come across or mostly more likely to read news of the strange than not but hoping this doesn't turn into more trouble than it already is.

[brer cat]

22. There was a lengthy article in WAPO this morning. nt

[JonLP24]

23. Wow, had no idea the national press was on this

Deadspin is kinda like a tabloid with the articles or stories they select but more reliable than the mainstream sports press when it comes to facts and scoops them all the time but there is the link to this no-name place that links to the Spokane local reporting.

I'll look around to see how they're presenting it or editorial slants.

[snagglepuss]

29. Why should her parents go along with her lies especially those lies where

she claims they whipped her for her skin color? Given that she entangled her parents into a web of lies which left the parents looking like they were the liars and child abusers to boot they had every right to set the record straight.

[wheniwasincongress]

36. I did not know that

(what she said about her parents.) So I understand why they are speaking out, but this story being heavily covered and investigated is odd and uncomfortable. It's about one odd person, not a group or the NAACP or black people. It's just weird and a perfect Fox feast.

[snagglepuss]

37. Well not so odd when you consider the police have been

investigation her claim about getting hate mail and that stuff about the noose. And she got a full scholarship at a black university by presenting herself as black and taught African Studies at college despite her degree is in Fine Arts.

[MADem]

20. On the tv today, I heard someone speculate that she was suffering from

some sort of dysmorphic disorder.

Kind of like Uncle Ruckus, I guess...?

[JonLP24]

24. It would have to be the opposite or inverse of that

IIRC, he was the character that was racist against black people can't remember if he recognizes himself. I remember a scene where he was outraged at the barbershop over the criticisms of Bush talking about "my President". Can't remember the line but found the clip

[MADem]

28. Well, the point is that Ruckus has internalized the persona of a white bigot....

Of course the comparison is not line for line, but it is a bit of "opposite day" working...

[cwydro]

21. She is crazy.

Making up hate crimes helps no one.

[JonLP24]

25. I didn't catch that

I was partially listening to the interview but what are you saying or what do you mean? The questions about hate crimes seemed unrelated to the question the reporter was saving to ask her though I probably missed what answer or question transitioned to the father cookout question. I mostly remember answering about a noose hung in a yard, the importance of the issues with the that but I'm thinking I'm missing what you saw.

[cwydro]

27. It's on CNN, or you can google it.

She claimed to receive hate mail, swastikas etc. Never substantiated.

Very sad person.

[snagglepuss]

33. She said her parents whipped her like a slave as a child because

of her skin color. Unfortunately she is a compulsive liar and needs therapy. If she is willing to state atrocious lies about her family to achieve her goals, she is a dangerous person to be around.



She may be an effective leader but so are sociopaths and the last thing organizations need are to leaders who are sociopaths because they are only concerned with self as are compulsive liars.

[JonLP24]

35. Definitely familiar with sociopaths

Not sure if she is ruining lives or not though with don't see the right or wrong in things though unconcerned with the wrong except when it happens to them. Well the ones I was familiar with left of trail of chaos & destruction but pretty good at maintaining an appaerance in situations such as that rather than fleeing or running usually when confronted. Typically anger or aggression is the reaction when the dispute is pinned down logically and are cool under pressure -- they react completely the opposite of someone with a guilty conscience like rather than shying or hiding they flaunt or act as if their actions never occurred. This is based on the couple I knew for sure was one but recognize the red flags in general. Like the shit Republicans come up with to react to the controversy of their controversies --

Anyway, she very well could be as delusions of grandeur and tell compulsive lies (whatever fits for what they use) -- There is so much I can go on here as it relates to my personal experience but wow. I skimmed most of it, seemed generally harmless, generally. It is one thing on the comparison itself but to say the reason is because of her "skin color" is really expanded what I thought was unusual or something I haven't seen or heard of before. I need to check out what is being said for her (with the parents) and what she says herself but either way the evasiveness is very odd. If a sociopath, no question they need someone else or they'll suddenly or already have problems they don't know about but developed anyway. If it is something that can be treated with therapy, hopefully she finds it with a therapist that can help but if a sociopath a therapist is just another human with buttons to try to push for whatever reason (mostly stimulation, hate boredom, they'd rather have an confrontation or argument than sit around bored. Tend to live on the edges or go to the edges when most people would go to their nest(comfort). Like you said last paragraph if she is, no point in having her in a leadership role

[csziggy]

32. She seems to be an effective leader for the NAACP chapter in her area

But there are some troubling questions from her past:

When Rachel applied to Howard University to study art with a portfolio of “exclusively African American portraiture,” the university “took her for a black woman” and gave her a full scholarship.

“You’ve got a white woman coming in that got a full-ride scholarship to the black Harvard,” Lawrence Dolezal said. “And ever since then she’s been involved in social justice advocacy for African Americans. She assimilated into that culture so strongly that that’s where she transferred her identity.”

<SNIP>

Postal workers, meanwhile, told police that hate mail Dolezal said she received at the NAACP’s post office box in Spokane was not processed by a post office, as it had no date stamp or bar code. Postal workers suggested the mail was put there by someone with a key to the box. The Spokesman-Review noted, however, that similar mail was sent to that newspaper and the Spokane Valley Police Department postmarked from Oakland, Calif.

The city of Spokane is also investigating whether Dolezal misidentified her race in an application to the Office of Police Ombudsman Commission, on which she serves. Dolezal said she had several ethnic origins on the application, including white, black and American Indian.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/12/spokane-naacp-president-rachel-dolezal-may-be-white/

Also this week, Spokane police files on Dolezal’s report that she received a hate mail package and other mailings in late February and March were released. Police records say the initial package Dolezal reported receiving did not bear a date stamp or bar code, which Dolezal herself told police when she reported it. Investigators interviewed postal workers, who said it was either very unlikely or impossible that the package could have been processed through the post office, and that the only other alternative was that it had been put there by someone with a key.

However, several other pieces of mail sent in the same handwriting and style, and with the writer identifying himself in the same way as “War Pig (Ret.),” have been received by Dolezal, the Spokane Valley Police Department and The Spokesman-Review. Those other letters were date-stamped and postmarked from Oakland, California.

<SNIP>

Neumaier said he was suspicious of several incidents Dolezal reported in Coeur d’Alene, including her discovery of a swastika on the door of the Human Rights Education Institute when the organization’s security camera was “mysteriously turned off.”

“None of them passed the smell test,” he said.
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/northwest/questions-raised-about-race-of-spokane-naacp-head/

I don't care what her race is but if she took a scholarship under false pretenses she committed fraud. And if she is sending herself hate mail and reporting it as from outside sources, she has put in a false police report.

One of the articles linked about says that she alleged abuse against presumably her parents and turned one of her adopted siblings against their parents - the one she is now claiming is her son. From what I am reading I think she needs some counseling.