Identifying Ourselves

Rachel Dolezal

Spokane, Washington NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal stepped down amid revelations that she had been falsely claiming to be African American.   Her estranged white parents have come forward to deny she is black.   Is this fraud punishable by law?   The legal system can decide that part.    She said to Matt Lauer on NBC's Today Show that she "identified as black" and showed no regret over what she had done.   I think an apology is due at the very least.   She lied.   That is a disservice to the very advocacy group she represented.    There is no reason a white person can't hold a responsible position in the NAACP, but there is no excuse for concealing the fact.   A man leads the UConn women's basketball team year after year.   An Englishman led Arabs in revolt against the Ottoman Empire a century ago.   Gender and ethnic identities don't matter in these cases.   Racial identity shouldn't matter here.   Integrity should.   As Dr. King said, it should not be about "the color of their skin, but the content of their character."   Judge her on that alone.

Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner said he "identified as a woman."  Jenner was very open over this aspect of his identity to the point where the news was everywhere.      Dolezal's racial identity should have been more of an open book, too.