By now you’ve all seen the headlines: “Spokane NAACP president Rachel Dolezal Outed as White”
If you haven’t the story is that Rachael Dolezal, a white woman and head of the Spokane NAACP has been outed by her parents on national TV for lying about being white.
“A lot of people knew that Rachel was white and for a while it seemed like she was just doing more of her artistic expressive representation of her identifyng with African Americans by doing her hair in extensions and things like that…” ~Rachel’s Mom, Ruthanne Dolezal
“She sounds African American on the phone…” ~Rachel’s Dad Lawrence Dolezal
That’s right according to her parents she is white, has always been white and they have no idea what her angle is for doing all of this. You can watch her parents explanation in it’s entirety here:
Here is Ms. Dolezal speaking at EWU Black is Beautiful Lecture and Hair show discussing the Black Power Movement and hairstyles in the Black American experience….
Dear Rachel Dolezal,
I heard that you adore Black culture so much that you want to be Black. Oh yes it’s FUN to be Black in this day and age isn’t it? You get to wear cool Black hairstyles and you can also join the NAACP and fight for the struggle! Cool! They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but I disagree, because I am not flattered by your choice to imitate me and by me I mean Black women. You don’t know MY struggle!
African American women come from a long history of struggle. You should know all about this since you actually taught a class called The Black Woman’s Struggle. Yes, we struggle with our skin color, our image, our hair, our sexuality, the list goes on. Wearing cornrows does not make you privy to that. Going to an HBCU does not transform you into Blackness. Your behavior is a mockery of our heritage. Black woman have 2 strikes against them in this society. Strike #1 We’re Black. Strike #2 we’re women and we have enough weight to carry around with out you making fun of us! You do not get to own our struggle temporarily! Our struggle is not a spray tan that you get to remove at night. When you wear your hair in natural hair styles that Black women of today still struggle with accepting themselves you ridicule us! Black women have been told that we are ugly and that our hair is not suitable even for the workplace but you wear your lopsided wig like a crown. I take issue with it. The “blackface” routine that you have put on is no different or less offensive then it was in the past. You are a caricature of a Black Woman in other words over exaggerated and a joke. Yes, cultural appropriation at its finest! But being Black is more than a lifestyle ma’am. Some people think that being Black nowadays is a condition whose symptoms are: racial profiling, prejudice and violence. Prognosis: death. Your NAACP defends you and that’s their choice, but I don’t need you fighting for my equality while you mock me. Nope I’m not flattered one bit. Yes I know that Black people are beautiful and that we are trendsetters but being in admiration of that does that does not make you one of us. When you take something that does not belong to you without permission it is called stealing Rachel and you cannot steal my Blackness!
Signed,
Angry Black Woman (but you already knew we are all “angry”… right?
Since my blog focuses on Natural Hair, Black beauty and my community I had to bring this story to you. I think its a crazy story to say the least. I really will never understand why this woman is doing all of this when my people are known for accepting other cultures. She could be white and live the experience all day, so why lie and say you are Black? I don’t get it and I guess I am not meant to. Black women have enough to deal with daily and with all her degrees, accolades and studies I would think that she would know this. Reread your struggle books Rachel.
Why do you think that Rachel Dolezal is doing this and how do you feel about it?
Comments
