First, the story (simplified): Rachel Dolezal is the President of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP…she’s also White. The problem isn’t the race, it’s the fact that — up until recently (maybe yesterday?) — she was intentionally passing as Black, complete with lies about her parents, upbringing and more. Here’s an excerpt from Buzzfeed:
A civil rights leader in Eastern Washington state has been passing herself off as black for years, her parents told local media…Dolezal’s parents also told local media outlets that their daughter’s heritage is Czech, Swedish, and German — including possible traces of Native American.
Larry Dolezal told BuzzFeed News he could not fully explain why his daughter might have wanted to pose as a black woman. But, he added: “She has over the past 20 years assimilated herself into the African-American community through her various advocacy and social justice work, and so that may be part of the answer.” He went on to say that Rachel cut off all communication with him and her mother, and “doesn’t want us visible in the Spokane area in her circle because we’re Caucasian.”
If you actually go to the story, the lies and deception only get deeper. Enter Black Twitter, who have been providing the usual hilarious fare of jokes at Dolezal’s expense. We’ve grouped out favorites below. UPDATE: NAACP has responded in support of Ms. Dolezal. We’ve added that in the below gallery.
