66 Facts About Rachel Dolezal

Rachel Dolezal is a former National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter president.

Rachel Dolezal was the subject of public scrutiny when her parents publicly stated that she was pretending to be black but was actually white.

The statement by Rachel Dolezal's parents followed Rachel Dolezal's reports to police and local news media that she had been the victim of race-related hate crimes; a police investigation did not find support for her allegations.

Rachel Dolezal had claimed on an application form to be mixed-race and had falsely claimed that an African-American man was her father and that her brother was her son.

In 2015, Rachel Dolezal acknowledged that she was "born white to white parents," but maintained that she self-identified as black.

The Rachel Dolezal controversy fuelled a national debate in the United States about racial identity.

Rachel Dolezal's critics stated that she committed cultural appropriation and fraud; Rachel Dolezal asserted that her self-identification is genuine.

In 2017, Rachel Dolezal released a memoir on her racial identity entitled In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World.

Rachel Dolezal was born in Lincoln County, Montana, on November 12,1977, to Ruthanne and Lawrence "Larry" Rachel Dolezal, who are white and primarily of German, Czech, and Swedish origin; she was born as a blue-eyed blonde with straight hair.

Rachel Dolezal has an older biological brother, Joshua Rachel Dolezal, a professor of English at Central College in Iowa who authored a book about their upbringing in Montana.

When Rachel Dolezal was a teenager, her parents adopted three African-American children and one Haitian child.

Rachel Dolezal has said she was born and lived in a tipi and that the family had hunted for their food with bow and arrow.

Rachel Dolezal said that lima beans were used as chess pieces when enjoying family game night.

Rachel Dolezal's mother stated that she and Dolezal's father briefly lived in a tipi in 1974, three years before their daughter was born and that Dolezal's claims were "totally false".

Rachel Dolezal said she lived in South Africa as a child, but her family disputes the claim.

Rachel Dolezal has stated that her parents frequently abused her.

Rachel Dolezal was homeschooled via the Christian Liberty Academy CLASS program, achieving a 4.0 grade point average.

Rachel Dolezal was one of several co-valedictorians upon graduation in 1996.

Rachel Dolezal won a $2,000 scholarship for college awarded by Tandy Leather for her entry in their 1996 Leather Art contest.

Rachel Dolezal's thesis at Howard was a series of paintings presented from the perspective of a black man.

In 2010, with the consent of her parents, Rachel Dolezal obtained legal guardianship of her 16-year-old brother, Izaiah Rachel Dolezal.

In 2002, Rachel Dolezal unsuccessfully sued Howard University for discrimination based on "race, pregnancy, family responsibilities, and gender, as well as retaliation".

Rachel Dolezal's lawsuit alleged that she was denied scholarship funds, a teaching assistant position, and other opportunities because she was a white woman.

Rachel Dolezal alleged that the removal of her artwork from a student exhibition at Howard in 2001 "was motivated by a discriminatory purpose to favor African-American students" over her.

Rachel Dolezal created a fountain sculpture titled "Triumph of the Human Spirit" that consisted of a tall column with troubled, sad figures at its base and dancing, celebrating figures further up the column.

In 2007, while working as an art teacher at School Indigo in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Rachel Dolezal collaborated with children to make five works for a "Rights of the Child" exhibit by the Human Rights Education Institute.

Rachel Dolezal indicated that she was, "for all intents and purposes", forced to resign from the organization after its board declined to hire her as its executive director.

Rachel Dolezal was elected president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP in 2014, replacing James Wilburn.

Rachel Dolezal applied for the position of chair of the Office of the Police Ombudsman Commission in Spokane in May 2014, and was appointed by Mayor David Condon.

Rachel Dolezal was asked to resign by Condon and Stuckart due to "intimidating and harassing" behavior.

Rachel Dolezal was a frequent contributor to The Inlander, an alternative weekly newspaper in Spokane.

Rachel Dolezal released a memoir on her racial identity titled In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World in March 2017.

Rachel Dolezal later worked as a hair stylist, specializing in weaves and braids.

Rachel Dolezal has stated that in the past she worked as a sushi chef.

Rachel Dolezal has an OnlyFans account, where it is reported that she will post pictures of herself engaging in activities such as working out as well as pictures of her feet.

Rachel Dolezal is a person of Northern and Central European ancestry; her father has stated that their family is of primarily European descent and "a small amount of American Indian".

Rachel Dolezal began darkening her skin and perming her hair sometime around 2011.

Rachel Dolezal has claimed to be a victim of race-related harassment.

Rachel Dolezal stated on September 29,2009, to KXLY that a noose had been left on her porch.

In July 2010, Rachel Dolezal resigned from Human Rights Education Institute in Kootenai County and stated to KREM 2 News that "she had been the target of discrimination".

Rachel Dolezal reportedly made several reports of harassment and other crimes to police in Idaho and Washington, including that she had received a hate mail package at her NAACP post office box and that a swastika was placed on the door of the Human Rights Education Institute, where she had previously worked.

Rachel Dolezal's mother has said she has never met Albert Wilkerson and that Rachel Dolezal does not have a stepfather.

Rachel Dolezal has said that she is of "African American, Native American, German, Czech, Swedish, Jewish and Arabic" heritage.

Selle recalled that Rachel Dolezal had made similar allegations when she was living in Coeur d'Alene, and that the allegations were not substantiated.

Larry and Ruthanne Rachel Dolezal gave Selle pictures of "their naturally blond, fair-skinned daughter" and a copy of her birth certificate.

Rachel Dolezal stepped down from her position at the NAACP on June 15,2015.

On June 15,2015, The Inlander announced that it had cut ties with Rachel Dolezal, saying that they felt "manipulated and deceived".

Rachel Dolezal's critics argued that she committed cultural appropriation and fraud.

However, others said that Rachel Dolezal's asserted identity should be respected.

Similarly Cedric Bradley, a colleague of hers at Spokane's NAACP, suggested it mattered little to him whether Rachel Dolezal was actually black or not.

Rachel Dolezal's identity was authentic, as far as I could tell.

Thompson discussed the issue with psychologist Derald Wing Sue, an expert on racial identity, who suggested that Rachel Dolezal had become so fascinated by racism and racial justice issues that she "over-identified" with black people.

Gender studies scholar Samantha Allen said, "Rachel Dolezal seems determined to appropriate not just blackness but the rhetoric of transgender identity as well" and called the analogy "spurious".

The Rachel Dolezal case led to a debate in scholarship as to whether transracial identity can be compared to transgender identity.

On news outlets and social media, Rachel Dolezal has been compared to Sacheen Littlefeather, an American woman who passed as Native American and took the stage on the 1973 45th Academy Awards, for the fact that they both falsely self-identified with a culture or ethnicity that was not theirs, for personal gain and promotion.

Rachel Dolezal has asserted that her self-identification is genuine, even though it is not based on ancestry.

Rachel Dolezal issued a statement on June 15,2015, asserting that "challenging the construct of race is at the core of evolving human consciousness".

Rachel Dolezal later said that she has never claimed to be "transracial", a term associated mainly with transracial adoption.

Rachel Dolezal alleged that the Spokane police chief had tired of dealing with her and had asked a private investigator to find out more information on her; while the private investigator in question acknowledged having investigated Rachel Dolezal, both he and the attorney for the police chief denied that the police chief had hired Pulver.

In subsequent interviews, Rachel Dolezal stated that she considered herself to be black.

Rachel Dolezal has stated that she has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

In October 2016, Rachel Dolezal legally changed her name to a Nigerian phrase that means "gift of God".

Rachel Dolezal later clarified that she still intends to use the name Rachel Dolezal "as her public persona", but that she changed her name to have a better chance of landing work.

Rachel Dolezal said she was on the brink of homelessness and unable to find employment.

In May 2018, Rachel Dolezal was charged with second-degree perjury and felony theft by welfare fraud by the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Rachel Dolezal entered into a diversion agreement on March 25,2019, agreeing to repay her assistance benefits and complete 120 hours of community service to avoid a trial.