Rachel Dolezal: My opinion!

I woke up yesterday morning and started my usual routine of scanning the iPad for stories to post on the Cactus News Facebook page. Half an hour later, I came across a story about the president of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the NAACP possibly being a white person posing as a black person, her name is Rachel Dolezal. I clicked on the link to a short CNN video showing a clip of an interview with Dozenal by a local station, apparently on the street. The reporter began asking her a series of questions focused on the image of an African-American man and she said that he was her father, then some questions about whether her parents were white. The final question was more direct: “Are you African American?” This consultation resulted in her walking away from the camera.

As the day progressed, I decided to do some research and began to learn some backstory. I don’t usually chase stories of moments where the media “got you”, this story was different. I read about your accomplishments in causes and your extensive service and contributions to the African American community. The response from the national president of the NAACP was that race is not a criterion for heading any NAACP chapter. This told me that they were looking at the body of his work and his contribution to the community and not his supposed racial identity issues.

As I investigate, the story becomes more complex and convoluted.

Ms. Dolezal possibly posing as a black person, in my mind, slowly becomes a backstory, an unfolding drama that is apparently rooted in an estranged relationship with her family. Questions arise in my mind about why her alleged birth parents and foster brother decided to speak publicly about Rachel. What compelled her to take her daughter out with paperwork to CNN?

There were also issues surrounding his recent hate crime complaint. The complexity grows.

The reaction:

Responses from readers and commenters on the situation have been mixed, ranging from support for her efforts and contributions to strong suspicion, questioning why she would give up white privilege to pose as a black woman. Some feel that she cheated because she avoided suffrage being a real African-American woman. Others, including members of the NAACP, see it as a serious betrayal that must be followed up with some form of retribution.

Dolezal could be facing serious scrutiny around issues like listing as African-American and other ethnicities in an application for a Spokane police ombudsman commission.

As this story unfolds, it remains to be seen if Dolezal’s body of work and contributions overshadow his supposed awakening and the catalysts for transformation are addressed. The facts remain that she worked within the community, she marched in protests and it seems most people were unaware of her supposed alternate identity. Is there such a thing as transracial, similar to race as it is to transgender and a person’s gender? Can a person who identifies with another race initiate transformation? Will the ultimate narrative transcend race? Is Dolezal delusional? Time will tell how this story progresses.

By: Rod Washington