There is another controversy over the veracity of representations of minority status in Washington. We previously discussed the controversy raised by the allegedly false claims of Senator Elizabeth Warren that she is a Native American. In this case, however, the accused is the head of a NAACP chapter and she is being accused of lying by her own mother. Worse yet, some have suggested that Rachel Dolezal, who is the head of the NAACP’s chapter in Spokane, planted hate mail at her office.
Dolezal has described her ethnicity as white, black, and American Indian in past papers and applications. However, her mother, Ruthanne, said that she is Czech, Swedish, and German, along with some “faint traces” of Native American heritage.
That has led to angry responses from different groups that she represented herself as a minority when she was selected for different positions. Dolezal has called the controversy a “multi-layered issue” and insisted “That question is not as easy as it seems. There’s a lot of complexities … and I don’t know that everyone would understand that.” She then added “We’re all from the African continent.” Many have interpreted that statement as a claim that, since mankind itself has been traced to Africa, everyone is an African to some degree. The definition is not sufficient for various groups. It raises, as did the Warren controversy, the basis for claiming minority status — a status that can give an edge in applications or hirings.
In addition, critics have raised suspicious racially motivated incidents reported by Dolezal while she was in Coeur d’Alene, including the discovery of a swastika on the Human Rights Education Institute’s door. Likewise, Spokane police records for February and March of this year showed that a hate mail package Dolezal reported receiving at the NAACP’s post office box did not bear a date stamp or barcode. Dolezal denies responsibility for those incidents.
The question is how to handle such cases in not only definition how to prove or what constitutes minority status or how to respond to allegedly false claims. If one receives payment for holding a position secured by assurance of minority status, can it be an actionable from of fraud or misrepresentation for the purposes of criminal or civil liability?
Source: Spokesman
Nick
I would allege that a place like Detroit, where there is a significant presence with regard to the black community, has enough clout and representation throughout all segments of the city with regard to minority rights. On the other hand, Spokane, with its tiny black community, is in even greater need of a strong, credible and respected leader, who could adequately represent the small black community.
BamBam, you’re right. This woman depriving some black person of their seat and grants is shameful.
Paul C
Fair-skinned blacks attempted to pass for whites during a time when virulent racism was the norm. It done as a survival measure, allowing the person to move in and out of various aspects of society without attracting the negative consequences that those who were more obviously black experienced on a daily basis. You are comparing apples and oranges. Passing for white was committed so that one could, perhaps, live a more normal life–eat at a whites-only lunch counter, drink at a whites-only water fountain, live in housing which restricted blacks, etc. This woman, as a white person, pulled this ruse without the benefit of a legitimate declaration that she did so to escape the horrible discrimination experienced as a white individual. I believe that she took a seat at a predominantly black institution of higher learning and was most probably the beneficiary of money intended for a black student needing assistance. She, therefore, deprived some true minority student of the opportunity that she absconded. Her lead position, at the local NAACP, is equally disturbing.
bam bam – HBC enroll white students. I am not sure how she listed herself when she enrolled but frankly how she checked the box is up to her.
I am going to take an educated guess that there is/was some ACTUAL black person who would have liked this position. For some borderline personality to create a faux life and take this position from a black person is quite nasty, IMO. Now, Spokane County has only 1.9% black folk, so this isn’t like she is representing Detroit.
DBQ
“This woman seems to be mentally ill.”
Lot of that going on.
If Bruce can become Caitlyn, then why shouldn’t this girl become black, if she wants to or is in a way that only she can determine?
Karen, I did watch Good Hair and found it interesting. Weaves are a secret society that men know little about. Rock is a truth teller.
To those insipid, vapid whiners crying in their beer, this story was covered on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox. It is always shrill liberals who constantly spout, “Why aren’t you covering this story about whales dying.” This is what JT decided to post. It’s HIS BLOG! There are many other blogs. Don’t let the door hit ya’ where the Good Lord split ya’.
It is irrational to oppose this woman’s behavior yet favor transgenders.
Pogo – since this woman did not harm anyone by her actions I see no problem. It is not like Elizabeth Warren claiming to be Native American to get preferential treatment. As for transgenders, I admire their courage. They have a lot more guts than I have.
Paul C
Don’t be so quick to determine that this woman’s deception harmed no one.
If she attended a predominantly black university, claiming that she was, in fact, black, did she receive scholarship money that had been earmarked specifically for black students? If so, did she then deprive a needy black student of an opportunity to attend college because she, independently, determined that we all, in some form or another, have African roots?
Does the term FRAUD come to mind? How about THEFT?
She was appointed/hired/selected as the head of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP. Do you honestly believe that the members of the organization, had they known about this person’s lack of black ancestry, would’ve approved of her taking the helm of their chapter? Lets be brutally honest here. We’re not talking about someone working, at the chapter, in a nonessential capacity–answering phones or filing papers. She perpetrated a fraud upon them, and if this was a paid position, I would allege that both fraud and theft occurred. I dare you to apply for the same position at your local NAACP chapter. Let me know when the laughter dies down, as you submit your application to the office. It’s one thing to openly declare your racial background, hoping that an organization, like the NAACP, would not view being black as a prerequisite for the top leadership position, and it’s another thing to purposefully deceive and misrepresent yourself, depriving people of an opportunity of self-determination as to who will be their leaders. Would you want a religious leader, as the spiritual leader of your congregation, to misrepresent that he was a member of your religion?
I find her behavior reprehensible. There are victims here.
bam bam – look at it from the other side. There were a certain amount of blacks who ‘passed’ for white. Now we have white who ‘passed’ for black. Fair is fair.
What was the question posed by the new Sheriff in the movie Blazing Saddles? It begins with the word “Where”.
Wait a minute – isn’t having to prove your ethnicity in order to get/keep your job something the Nazis did?
There were two cases many years ago where a woman claimed she was discriminated against because she was black and won and then later sued that she was discriminated that she was discriminated against because she was white and won. The courts held you could hold yourself out to be the race you chose.
randyjet
If you are GOP, it doesn’t matter about lying under oath, screwing around on your wife, etc..
Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. The left thinks we should care about this again? You missed a memo I think.
Unmentioned thus far: she went to an historically black college. So maybe she felt like an outsider, envied black students the closeness she witnessed, and this is her effort to deal with it.
There’s also family drama. Her sister is suing their brother, who Rachel was passing off as her son. The logistics are strange though. Rachel became her brother’s guardian, but the parents haven’t had contact in years. Rachel claims the lawsuit is over unspecified “abuse”, but when would the brother have been around the sister to commit it? Strange circumstances.
Gender dysphoria is the new, hot topic. Caitlin Jenner just inked a 7 million dollar contract so we can all witness his/her life, in all its glory, on some reality series. Has anyone ever coined the term racial dysphoria? Well, if not, then I just have. I see a reality series in her future. Wonder if she’s gonna get her photo plastered on the cover of Vanity Fair? Forget Call Me Caitlin! How about Call Me Pocahontas?
I agree that the woman is probably ill are there are some messy ongoing family disputes.
Toss in the race issue and NAACP – makes it a perfect topic for Turley’s blog.
@BarkinDog2uall: “Worse yet” is perfectly good grammar, meaning “even worse”. “Worst yet” means “worst so far”. In context, “worse yet” is the proper usage.
Randyjet, I guess if Jeb is married to a Hispanic, he becomes one too, lol?
Karen S
What you are witnessing is a person, so lacking in original thought and insight, who must resort to the only thing of which he is even remotely capable: commenting on other comments. Notice, if you will, the total absence of any original well-formed, articulate observations regarding the topic at hand. Notice the constant dependency upon only attacking others for contributing their respective opinions to whatever the topic may be at the moment. Notice the total lack of respect for any viewpoints inconsistent with his own. Even the most innocuous comments are mocked. I’m sure that there is a mental health textbook, somewhere, with his picture in it, alongside the exact medical condition that elicits these responses. As Nick has so correctly admonished in the past, ignoring these comments is probably a solution. Your insightful and perceptive comments are always a welcome addition to this forum. The peanut gallery, so bereft with regard to any capacity to analyze the topic, simply throws about disparaging remarks as a way to enter into the fray. Ignore it.
@ Karen
It is one thing to state that you are of ethnic blood even though you don’t LOOK to be of that ethnicity. Many people who have African ancestry or Indian or whatever in their backgrounds do not necessarily appear to be African etc.
It is a completely different issue to go to the lengths of disguising your appearance. Using make up, foundation to darken your skin, wear wigs or otherwise change your appearance to “pass” as a “black” woman. Even Elizabeth Warren, who claims Indian heritage, didn’t dye her hair black and wear buckskins.
This woman seems to be mentally ill.