The race of one of the most prominent faces in Spokane, Washington's
black community is under question after her estranged mother claimed she is
white but is "being dishonest and deceptive with her identity."
black community is under question after her estranged mother claimed she is
white but is "being dishonest and deceptive with her identity."
Rachel Dolezal, 37, is the head of the local chapter of the NAACP and has
identified herself as at least partly African-American. But her Montana birth
certificate says she was born to two Caucasian parents, according to that
couple, which shared that document and old photos with CNN.
"We are her birth parents," Lawrence Dolezal told CNN on Friday. "We do not
understand why she feels it's necessary to misrepresent her ethnicity."
CNN tried to reach Rachel Dolezal for comment by emailing and calling her, but
was unsuccessful. The Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper reported,
though, that she has framed the controversy surrounding her racial identity in
the context of a family fight over alleged abuse.
One organization that appears to be standing behind her is the NAACP. The
group, historically one of the most prominent in supporting causes important to
the African-American community, said Friday that Dolezal is "enduring a legal
issue with her family" and that "we respect her privacy in this matter."
"One's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for
NAACP leadership," the group said in a statement. "The NAACP Alaska-Oregon-
Washington State Conference stands behind Ms. Dolezal's advocacy record."
Challenged about her race Dolezal represented herself as African-American -- along with several other ethnicities, including white and American Indian -- in an application for a Spokane police ombudsman commission.
And she has presented the public with a different family photograph posted to
the local NAACP chapter's Facebook page. When she announced her father was
coming to town for a visit, she showed herself standing next to an older
African-American man.
Dolezal's public racial identity came under scrutiny on Thursday, when a
reporter from CNN affiliate KXLY held up that photo asked her if it showed her
dad. She replied that it did
Then came a follow-up question: "Are you African-American?"
"I don't understand the question of -- I did tell you that, yes, that's my dad.
And he was unable to come in January," Dolezal responded.
"Are your parents -- are they white?" came the next query.
Dolezal walked away from the microphone, leaving her purse and keys, and took
refuge in a nearby clothing boutique.
"I don't understand the question of -- I did tell you that, yes, that's my dad.
And he was unable to come in January," Dolezal responded.
"Are your parents -- are they white?" came the next query.
Dolezal walked away from the microphone, leaving her purse and keys, and took
refuge in a nearby clothing boutique.
A family photo from Rachel Dolezal's wedding reception on May 21, 2000. According to the Dolezal family, the image shows from left rear, Ruthanne Dolezal, who Rachel's mother, Rachel's husband, Kevin, Rachel Dolezal, her father Larry Dolezal and
her paternal grandparents. In the front row are Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal'adopted children Ezra, Izaiah, Esther and Zachariah.
Rachel Dolezal's birth certificate.
The race of one of the most prominent faces in Spokane, Washington's
black community is under question after her estranged mother claimed she is
white but is "being dishonest and deceptive with her identity."
Rachel Dolezal, 37, is the head of the local chapter of the NAACP and has
identified herself as at least partly African-American. But her Montana birth
certificate says she was born to two Caucasian parents, according to that
couple, which shared that document and old photos with CNN.
"We are her birth parents," Lawrence Dolezal told CNN on Friday. "We do not
understand why she feels it's necessary to misrepresent her ethnicity."
CNN tried to reach Rachel Dolezal for comment by emailing and calling her, but
was unsuccessful. The Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper reported,
though, that she has framed the controversy surrounding her racial identity in
the context of a family fight over alleged abuse.
One organization that appears to be standing behind her is the NAACP. The
group, historically one of the most prominent in supporting causes important to
the African-American community, said Friday that Dolezal is "enduring a legal
issue with her family" and that "we respect her privacy in this matter."
"One's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for
NAACP leadership," the group said in a statement. "The NAACP Alaska-Oregon-
Washington State Conference stands behind Ms. Dolezal's advocacy record."
Challenged about her race
Dolezal represented herself as African-American -- along with several other
ethnicities, including white and American Indian -- in an application for a
Spokane police ombudsman commission.
And she has presented the public with a different family photograph posted to
the local NAACP chapter's Facebook page. When she announced her father was
coming to town for a visit, she showed herself standing next to an older
African-American man.
Dolezal's public racial identity came under scrutiny on Thursday, when a
reporter from CNN affiliate KXLY held up that photo asked her if it showed her
dad. She replied that it did.
Then came a follow-up question: "Are you African-American?"
"I don't understand the question of -- I did tell you that, yes, that's my dad.
And he was unable to come in January," Dolezal responded.
"Are your parents -- are they white?" came the next query.
Dolezal walked away from the microphone, leaving her purse and keys, and took
refuge in a nearby clothing boutique.
Expert, advocate on black community
Dolezal has built a wide-ranging career as an expert on and advocate for the
black community.
She is not just president of her local NAACP chapter; she is also an academic
expert on African-American culture and teaches many related classes at Eastern
Washington University.
She represents the black community publicly and vocally, including as a
spokeswoman on race-influenced police violence. On Tuesday she spoke to Al
Jazeera on the topic. And Dolezal has appeared alongside Baltimore City
State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who has filed charges against police officers in
the death of Freddie Gray, a young black man.
The mayor of Spokane appointed Dolezal chairwoman of a police oversight
committee to keep an eye on fairness in police work.
After the allegations of faked racial identity surfaced, Mayor David Condon and
City Council President Ben Stuckart said they take "very seriously the concerns
raised regarding the chair of the independent citizen police ombudsman
commission."
The city is checking to see if she has violated any policies.
Still, what Dolezal has done is more important than what race she is to the
NAACP, regional President Gerald Hankerson told CNN. He called the NAACP a
civil rights organization first that includes "leaders from all different ethnicities,"
adding that it "doesn't do a genealogy search on what a person's ethnicity is
when they" take a top position.
As to Dolezal specifically, Hankerson told CNN, "We represent all civil rights
issues, regardless of a person's ethnicity. And the quality of the work that she
has done to elevate the issues of civil rights in that region is what we applaud."
Dolezal: Explanation 'not as easy as it seems'
Rachel Dolezal grew up in what her parents called a diverse family, with friends
from various ethnicities and four adopted siblings who were black. She was
"always interested in ethnicity and diversity" growing up, her mother Ruthanne
said.
her paternal grandparents. In the front row are Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal'adopted children Ezra, Izaiah, Esther and Zachariah.
Rachel Dolezal's birth certificate.
The race of one of the most prominent faces in Spokane, Washington's
black community is under question after her estranged mother claimed she is
white but is "being dishonest and deceptive with her identity."
Rachel Dolezal, 37, is the head of the local chapter of the NAACP and has
identified herself as at least partly African-American. But her Montana birth
certificate says she was born to two Caucasian parents, according to that
couple, which shared that document and old photos with CNN.
"We are her birth parents," Lawrence Dolezal told CNN on Friday. "We do not
understand why she feels it's necessary to misrepresent her ethnicity."
CNN tried to reach Rachel Dolezal for comment by emailing and calling her, but
was unsuccessful. The Spokane Spokesman-Review newspaper reported,
though, that she has framed the controversy surrounding her racial identity in
the context of a family fight over alleged abuse.
One organization that appears to be standing behind her is the NAACP. The
group, historically one of the most prominent in supporting causes important to
the African-American community, said Friday that Dolezal is "enduring a legal
issue with her family" and that "we respect her privacy in this matter."
"One's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for
NAACP leadership," the group said in a statement. "The NAACP Alaska-Oregon-
Washington State Conference stands behind Ms. Dolezal's advocacy record."
Challenged about her race
Dolezal represented herself as African-American -- along with several other
ethnicities, including white and American Indian -- in an application for a
Spokane police ombudsman commission.
And she has presented the public with a different family photograph posted to
the local NAACP chapter's Facebook page. When she announced her father was
coming to town for a visit, she showed herself standing next to an older
African-American man.
Dolezal's public racial identity came under scrutiny on Thursday, when a
reporter from CNN affiliate KXLY held up that photo asked her if it showed her
dad. She replied that it did.
Then came a follow-up question: "Are you African-American?"
"I don't understand the question of -- I did tell you that, yes, that's my dad.
And he was unable to come in January," Dolezal responded.
"Are your parents -- are they white?" came the next query.
Dolezal walked away from the microphone, leaving her purse and keys, and took
refuge in a nearby clothing boutique.
Expert, advocate on black community
Dolezal has built a wide-ranging career as an expert on and advocate for the
black community.
She is not just president of her local NAACP chapter; she is also an academic
expert on African-American culture and teaches many related classes at Eastern
Washington University.
She represents the black community publicly and vocally, including as a
spokeswoman on race-influenced police violence. On Tuesday she spoke to Al
Jazeera on the topic. And Dolezal has appeared alongside Baltimore City
State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who has filed charges against police officers in
the death of Freddie Gray, a young black man.
The mayor of Spokane appointed Dolezal chairwoman of a police oversight
committee to keep an eye on fairness in police work.
After the allegations of faked racial identity surfaced, Mayor David Condon and
City Council President Ben Stuckart said they take "very seriously the concerns
raised regarding the chair of the independent citizen police ombudsman
commission."
The city is checking to see if she has violated any policies.
Still, what Dolezal has done is more important than what race she is to the
NAACP, regional President Gerald Hankerson told CNN. He called the NAACP a
civil rights organization first that includes "leaders from all different ethnicities,"
adding that it "doesn't do a genealogy search on what a person's ethnicity is
when they" take a top position.
As to Dolezal specifically, Hankerson told CNN, "We represent all civil rights
issues, regardless of a person's ethnicity. And the quality of the work that she
has done to elevate the issues of civil rights in that region is what we applaud."
Dolezal: Explanation 'not as easy as it seems'
Rachel Dolezal grew up in what her parents called a diverse family, with friends
from various ethnicities and four adopted siblings who were black. She was
"always interested in ethnicity and diversity" growing up, her mother Ruthanne
said.
Dolezal attended college in Mississippi, then went on to Howard University on
scholarship -- not having identified herself black then on her application,
because there was no such option, though people there may have assumed as
much "because her portfolio of art was all African-American portraiture," her
mother said.
It wasn't until around 2007, her parents said, that Dolezal began identifying
herself more with the African-American community, according to her mother.
As to why, her parents don't know -- in part because Rachel Dolezal "has
chosen to distance herself from the family."
"She has not explained to us why she is doing what she is doing and being
dishonest ... with her identity," Ruthanne Dolezal said.
While CNN has yet to get comment from Rachel Dolezal directly, she has alluded
to a family fight over alleged abuse, according to the Spokesman-Review .
She wouldn't answer the newspaper's questions about her racial heritage
directly and said she wanted to talk to local NAACP leadership first. "I feel like I
owe my executive committee a conversation," she said.
"That question is not as easy as it seems," Dolezal told the Spokesman-
Review. "There's a lot of complexities ... and I don't know that everyone would
understand that."
The NAACP, it seems, wasn't about to disqualify her if she's indeed white.
"In every corner of this country," the group said, "the NAACP remains committed
to securing political, educational and economic justice for all people. And we
encourage Americans of all stripes to become members and serve as leaders in
our organization."
scholarship -- not having identified herself black then on her application,
because there was no such option, though people there may have assumed as
much "because her portfolio of art was all African-American portraiture," her
mother said.
It wasn't until around 2007, her parents said, that Dolezal began identifying
herself more with the African-American community, according to her mother.
As to why, her parents don't know -- in part because Rachel Dolezal "has
chosen to distance herself from the family."
"She has not explained to us why she is doing what she is doing and being
dishonest ... with her identity," Ruthanne Dolezal said.
While CNN has yet to get comment from Rachel Dolezal directly, she has alluded
to a family fight over alleged abuse, according to the Spokesman-Review .
She wouldn't answer the newspaper's questions about her racial heritage
directly and said she wanted to talk to local NAACP leadership first. "I feel like I
owe my executive committee a conversation," she said.
"That question is not as easy as it seems," Dolezal told the Spokesman-
Review. "There's a lot of complexities ... and I don't know that everyone would
understand that."
The NAACP, it seems, wasn't about to disqualify her if she's indeed white.
"In every corner of this country," the group said, "the NAACP remains committed
to securing political, educational and economic justice for all people. And we
encourage Americans of all stripes to become members and serve as leaders in
our organization."
culled from CNN
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