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Unapologetic Rachel Dolezal resigns from NAACP chapter over race 'storm' Unapologetic Rachel Dolezal resigns from NAACP chapter over race 'storm'
(35 minutes later)
Rachel Dolezal has resigned as the head Spokane NAACP chapter less than a week after she was revealed to be a white woman passing as black. Rachel Dolezal, the civil-rights leader in the middle of a firestorm over accusations that she has been misrepresenting herself as black, has resigned unapologetically from her post at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
In a statement posted to the chapter’s Facebook page, Dolezal does not apologize for falsely portraying herself as black for years. The story of Dolezal “passing” for a different race quickly went viral on Friday after her parents told a local news station that their daughter, who had publicly cited her African lineage, is actually of Czech and German heritage – with “traces of Native American ancestry”.
“I am delighted that so many organizations and individuals have supported and collaborated with the Spokane NAACP under my leadership to grow this branch into one of the healthiest in the nation in 5 short months,” she writes. “In the eye of this current storm, I can see that a separation of family and organizational outcomes is in the best interest of the NAACP.” After internal deliberations with local and national representatives from the NAACP, Dolezal announced that she was stepping down as president of the group’s chapter in Spokane, Washington – in a 544-word Facebook post that offered neither contrition nor remorse as the controversy over identity politics continued.
As the controversy around Dolezal intensified, her adopted brother accused her of giving African Americans a “slap in the face” by co-opting their racial struggles after growing up with all the advantages of a white, middle-class girl. Related: Rachel Dolezal strikes defiant tone over ethnicity: 'I consider myself to be black'
“She puts dark make-up on her face and says she black,” Ezra Dolezal told Buzzfeed News. “It’s basically blackface.” “I have waited in deference while others expressed their feelings, beliefs, confusions and even conclusions – absent the full story,” Dolezal wrote in the statement. “I am consistently committed to empowering marginalized voices and believe that many individuals have been heard in the last hours and days that would not otherwise have had a platform to weigh in on this important discussion.”
“In the eye of this current storm, I can see that a separation of family and organizational outcomes is in the best interest of the NAACP,” she wrote.
She does not self-identify her race in the statement. On Friday, Dolezal told Sky News that she “would definitely consider” herself to be black. She added that she does not “give two shits” about what her parents say.
Dolezal has said she does not consider Ruthanne and Larry Dolezal, who spoke to Spokane’s KREM 2 about their family’s ancestry, to be her real parents. She is also engaged in an ongoing lawsuit with the couple.
The unusual case has prompted a heated discussion about race, identity and cultural appropriation.
Related: Rachel Dolezal's deception: her 'black' identity doesn't make sense – or make her black
“While challenging the construct of race is at the core of evolving human consciousness, we can NOT afford to lose sight of the five Game Changers (Criminal Justice & Public Safety, Health & Healthcare, Education, Economic Sustainability, and Voting Rights & Political Representation) that affect millions, often with a life or death outcome,” Dolezal wrote in her Facebook missive. “The movement is larger than a moment in time or a single person’s story.”
Dolezal, who is also a professor at Eastern Washington University, has said that she was a victim of hate crimes. She is also being investigated by the city of Spokane, which is looking into claims that she falsified her ethnicity when applying for a position on the city’s police board.
The Spokane chapter of the NAACP, where Dolezal served as president for five months, had postponed a scheduled meeting for Monday night, at which Dolezal was expected to make a full response to the charges.
The NAACP is the largest civil rights group in the US. “One’s racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership,” the group said in a statement.
Related: My father kept his black roots a secret his whole life. Learning the truth changed mine
The Washington conference that oversees state chapters “stands behind Ms Dolezal’s advocacy record”, according to the statement. Dolezal is credited with improving the group’s finances and membership in Spokane.
The organization’s vice-president, Naima Quarles-Burnely, will become president of the chapter, according to the announcement.
“Please know I will never stop fighting for human rights and will do everything in my power to help and assist, whether it means stepping up or stepping down, because this is not about me,” Dolezal said. “It’s about justice.”