Civil Rights Activist Rachel Dolezal Is Outed As White By Her Parents, Began Disguising Herself As Black In 2004

Rachel Dolezal is a vocal civil rights activist who also teaches Africana Studies at Eastern Washington University. She has claimed that her father is black and her mother is white, but Rachel’s “real” parents are speaking out about their daughter’s drastic changes in 2006. The Dolezal’s parents say that the NAACP leader is not black, but rather she has been disguising herself and hiding her Caucasian roots with her “artistic skills” for years.

Rachel’s parents, who are both white, say that the activist’s ancestry is Swedish, German, and Czech, not “white, black, and Native American” as the woman’s job application claims. In fact, the family members claim that the woman has possible traces of Native American blood but no African American ancestry. The family offered photographs as proof of the woman’s real identity. Photos show a blonde-haired, pale-skinned and freckle-faced young lady who hardly resemble the prominent civil rights activist.

The Spokesman-Review reports that Rachel’s family has come forward to speak out about the civil rights activist’s lies. The family says that Rachel has been falsely portraying herself as black for years. Rachel’s mother, Ruthanne Dolezal, says she just wishes Rachel would be herself and that she could still be effective in the civil rights community only without deceiving those around her.

“It’s very sad that Rachel has not just been herself. Her effectiveness in the causes of the African-American community would have been so much more viable, and she would have been more effective if she had just been honest with everybody.”

Ruthanne notes that her daughter began portraying herself as black in 2004 after she divorced her black husband. At that time, she cut off ties with her white family. In public interviews, Rachel noted that she doesn’t speak to her mother and “step-father” because of ongoing legal issues with them and her siblings. However, her father, Larry Dolezal, who Rachel claims is her step-father, says that isn’t true and that Rachel cut off ties “because we’re Caucasian.”

The NAACP Spokane posted a photo back in January that purportedly showed Rachel with her father, a black man. The group said that President Dolezal’s father would be coming to town for a special ribbon cutting. However, Ruthanne says that the man in the photo is not Rachel’s father, and she has no idea who he is.

According to KREM, though Rachel does not have any black ancestry, she has always identified heavily with the African-American culture. Ruthanne and Larry Dolezal says she had black siblings who were adopted and went to school in Mississippi and was part of a primarily African-American community. However, until her 2004 divorce, Rachel did not portray herself as black but was instead a white woman who supported the black community.

Rachel has spoken out about the allegations and said that “she does not consider her biological parents her real parents.” She notes that she understands people being upset about her “misrepresenting her race.” However, she says the concerns are unwarranted because race is not black and white.

“I can understand that. And like I said, it’s more important to me to clarify that to the black community, and with my executive board, than it really is for me to explain it to a community that I quite frankly don’t think understands the definitions of race and ethnicity.”

What do you think about the allegations against Rachel Dolezal? Can she identify as black and Native American despite having mostly Caucasian ancestry?

[Image Credit: Facebook/ Family Handout KREM]