Does Rachel Dolezal's Lie About Her Race Discredit Her Civil Rights Work?

Spokane Washington NAACP President Rachel Dolezal has come under fire for falsely claiming to be Black. Does her lie discredit her civil rights work?

Dominique Hobdy Jun, 12, 2015

Rachel Dolezal, president of the Spokane Chapter of the NAACP, has been exposed by her parents as a white woman.

According to Spokane news station KREM, Rachel, 37, has been identifying as a Black woman for several years, but her birth certificate lists two Caucasian parents.

Dolezal’s parents Ruthane and Larry Dolezal revealed that their daughter is of Czech and German background. They say she was married to a Black man, has two adopted Black sisters and began identifying as a Black woman when she got divorced in 2004.

“Rachel has wanted to be somebody she’s not,” Ruthanne told KREM reporters. “She’s chosen not to just be herself but to represent as an African-American woman or a biracial person. And that’s simply not true.”

Officials are now investigating whether Dolezal violated the NAACP code of ethics by falsely identifying as African American.

Dolezal has been on the forefront of Black issues including being vocal about police brutality, equal rights and equality in law enforcement . She also teaches Africana studies at Eastern Washington University.

Does Dolezal’s deception about her race discount the work that she has done for civil rights? Let us know your thoughts.

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