The Spokane NAACP chapter has an uncomfortable light shining on them this week. Their president and outspoken civil rights leader is not what she claimed to be, her family says. Rachel Dolezal has previously identified herself as white, black and Native American on applications - yet her family denies her biracial identity.
Dolezal’s mother, Ruthanne Dolezal, presented a birth certificate to the media to confirm her relationship with the NAACP chapter president. She said when her daughter was younger the family adopted four children, two that are black, and this might have spurred Dolezal’s interest in race relations.
That was not an issue for the family, but what Dolezal hid was, claims her mother. Ruthanne said their family ancestry is actually German, Swedish, Czech and a “touch” of Native American.
Dolezal has a history of being outspoken and has claimed racial harassment against her previously in the form of letters and nooses near her home. KXLY stopped Dolezal on the street and presented to her a picture of her father, a father she told many was black. The picture was of a white male. Dolezal confirmed it was her father, but when Jeff Humphrey inquires if she is black, Dolezal states she does not understand the question. Check out the video from KXLY here.
What makes it hurtful to the family is the misinformation Dolezal has shared with the public. In a January 14th Facebook post on the Spokane NAACP page, there was a picture of Dolezal standing next to an older black gentleman. The caption and picture are below:
A picture, courtesy of KXLY, shows Dolezal’s real mother and father.
The family has degrees of separation against them. Reportedly, Dolezal claimed abused against one of her siblings and adopted Izaiah following the claims. Her other brothers said Dolezal is living a lie, and has made Izaiah into a racist by fueling negative thoughts about white people into him. Her family states Dolezal started using Izaiah as a tool in her deception by telling people he was her son.
Dolezal has made a mark in her region and has represented herself as black when discussing race relations.
She became representative of the black community, and teaches African-American culture and additional classes at the Eastern Washington University. She was paid for speeches to discuss her upbringing as a “black” woman, and yet behind it all she reportedly lied.
Following the allegations, the City Council President and Mayor released a statement advising they take “very seriously the concerns raised regarding the chair of the independent citizen police ombudsman commission.” They are also checking to determine if Dolezal may have violated any city policies when completing her application for the commission.
Ruthanne said she did not understand why her daughter disguised herself. She believes her daughter could have been more effective in the “African-American community” if she would have “just been honest with everybody.” The issue, says the family, is not Dolezal stepping into an activist role, but her misrepresentations and lies about her background to further her career.
Attempts to reach Dolezal were unsuccessful.
