NAACP Leader Posed as Black (?)

[Geechee Girl]

Is it common in the United States to use black when referring to culture, and African-American when speaking about race?

The US has a complex history of trying to denote race. In the first 50 years of the US Census, there was only white or non-white. Slaves counted only as 3/5 of a person while Native Americans weren't counted at all. After 1890, the categories of quadroon, octoroon, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, and Native American were added. My Granny born in 1925 was quadroon, while her siblings were noted as Negro, and her mother(Cherokee & mulatto mix) was colored. It wasn't until 1960 that Americans could self-identify on the Census. By 1980, Negro became Black. Although I'm mulatto, me and other mixed-race individuals had to pick one race only. Black/African-Amer/Negro merged into 1 choice. Americans continue to use Black & African-American interchangeably for race. Thankfully, since the 2000 Census, we are all free to tick more than 1 box.

My Granny's generation continued to use colored and Negro, while my mom & her siblings latched onto Black during the Black Power movement. I've been raised to see African-American as our ethnicity, and official race on forms, but we are all Black when we enter the world. I've continued the trend with Miss GG. Even though she's quadroon by the old standard, the world will see & treat her as a light-skinned black girl, and never a dark-skinned white girl.

I'm not sure if that made any sense. TLDR: documents A-A is race, but Black is often used for race colloquially.

[Burris]

I think the NAACP has a vested interest in maintaining the integrity of their organization and Dolezal has been proved to be a serial liar. Not just about her race--and no one made any assumptions, she claimed to be black. She lied about her upbringing, about who her parents were, about her other familial relationships and there is quite a lot of evidence that she lied about numerous "hate crimes" over the years. According to one source, she even organized vigils for herself in response to the alleged hate crimes.

There have been some stories about her behaviors that, in retrospect, are very inappropriate as well. She once did not allow a Latino student to speak in her classroom about Hispanic issues claiming she didn't look Hispanic enough. Link:

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2 ... ic-enough/

She attempted to stop an author from speaking about race issues at the university she was teaching at because he was white. Link:

http://www.ibtimes.com/rachel-dolezal-d ... no-1971921

Some of her paintings appear to be plagiarized. Link:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/1 ... 86972.html

She has no credibility. It is as simple as that. And if the NAACP and the university she has been teaching at wish to maintain their own institutional integrity and credibility, it follows that neither can continue to employ her.

Wow.

I understand now.

For her to deny someone else the right to speak to their experience because they weren't Hispanic enough is to pinpoint an ugly transgression - especially since she herself, at best - giving her benefit of doubt, straddled that line herself. (I might be struck by lightning for asking this question, but how in hell did she not see the problem with that?)

And then I saw the plagiarism. Come on! She has enough talent she had no need to plagiarize, but it seems to me she clearly did. It's no secret I have poor vision, but when two paintings are set side by side and they are identical, I see it - and apparently that is just one of many examples where she lacked imagination of her own.

One of the bitch parts here, which I don't expect most people to appreciate, is that this woman really could have contributed without the plagiarism and hate-crime manufacturing. She could have been something...better. All that work and...she's fucked; now part of the rogues' gallery - and there's no way out of that position once you're in it.

[mns]

If she were an eight year old play acting this would be amusing.

[shedemei]

To me, it's more "I'm white and was raised by african-american parents." I've never heard a black person that was raised by Caucasian parents say that they are now officially "white"...?!?

I have heard something like this. I knew an Asian girl in college who stated that she considered herself and marked herself on forms as white. She was adopted and raised by white parents, experiencing only white American culture. It's difficult; fine for her on a personal level but society will never perceive her as anything but Asian.

[shedemei]

To Burris's points: there's a difference between personal identity and behavior.

I think most people would consider her an oddity or poseur for altering her appearance and cultural identity. It wouldn't make national news.

It's her behavior that is the problem, even if the news circus is latching onto race.

I can't remember if I said this here or elsewhere, but the circus around her is giving white America a distraction from having real and difficult conversations about race relations is the US.

[16strong]

Maya Rudolf does Rachel Dolezal:

[bBvideo 560,340:1l66l6bo]

[/bBvideo]

[Geechee Girl]

I have heard something like this. I knew an Asian girl in college who stated that she considered herself and marked herself on forms as white. She was adopted and raised by white parents, experiencing only white American culture. It's difficult; fine for her on a personal level but society will never perceive her as anything but Asian.

It's all a part of the racial subtext which happens within the group. There are aspects of racial non-conformity that will brand someone as "acting white/black/hispanic/Asian" or whatever which goes against the norm. Usually peers will pick up a person's language use, cultural knowledge, and appearance as indicators of not fitting those of the in-group.

To the bolded, have you heard of Lacey Schwartz? She was raised as a white, NY Jew. Her entire community regarded her as white. It wasn't until she was in an integrated school that other black classmates caused Lacey challenged her white identity.

[bBvideo 560,340:16vkzzw2][/bBvideo]

[tropaka]

Good gosh, when People and InTouch start doing comprehensive articles....This article from People makes it clear that reporters went to the parents while investigating the "hate" crime claims (there's a nice list of them all), and that she got caught out by her own doings:

http://www.people.com/article/rachel-do ... ate-crimes

While I think the conversations around culture and identification are interesting, I don't think this woman is an example that should be used, as she appears as a case of deception for personal gain with a dose of some kind of personality disorder (my internet psychology dx).

[Kira]

Prosecutors dropped the sex abuse charges against Rachel's brother.

http://www.people.com/article/Rachel-Do ... -dismissed

[FundieFarmer]

Now she's gone and done an interview with Vanity Fair.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/07/ ... -exclusive

[Firiel]

Now she's gone and done an interview with Vanity Fair.

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/07/ ... -exclusive

:roll:

Oh for heaven's sake. She probably thinks this is the best thing to ever happen to her.

[cindyluvs24]

Kinda weird how Burris posted a few inches up back in June. People pretending to be someone they're not. Hmmmm.

[Geechee Girl]

:roll:

Oh for heaven's sake. She probably thinks this is the best thing to ever happen to her.

Yep, I'm not surprised she now wants to write a book.

[FundieFarmer]

Yep, I'm not surprised she now wants to write a book.

We could have a great game with this. Let's call it Shit Dolezal Could Call Her Book, and see where it goes. If it hits close, you can sue for royalties.

[CallmeChaCha]

Yep, I'm not surprised she now wants to write a book.

About what?! Her ordeal? How she got caught? Or why she got caught? Ridiculous.

What's OJ Simpson's book called? "If I Did It"? Dolezal can call hers "If I Was White Pretending to be Black" :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Nic]

About what?! Her ordeal? How she got caught? Or why she got caught? Ridiculous.

What's OJ Simpson's book called? "If I Did It"? Dolezal can call hers "If I Was White Pretending to be Black" :roll: :roll: :roll:

She said that she would never be able to get a social justice leadership position again without a published explanation of her side (that she identifies as black which is different than identifying as African American.) So I guess she plans to hand out books on job interviews.

[Firiel]

She said that she would never be able to get a social justice leadership position again without a published explanation of her side (that she identifies as black which is different than identifying as African American.) So I guess she plans to hand out books on job interviews.

Fixed that for her. :roll:

[2xx1xy1JD]

I just saw this article, about Rosenwald schools for Black children in the American south: http://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-the-j ... eep-south/ (unbroken, news site)

As I said above, the NAACP has always had white involvement. It is possible to use your own struggles to tap into empathy for another group, to speak to members of an oppressed group and find out what their most pressing needs are, and to do good, necessary work to improve things - without pretending to be something that you are not.

[DGayle]

:roll:

Oh for heaven's sake. She probably thinks this is the best thing to ever happen to her.

I agree. She fell down the line to last month's news, and is grasping for a little bit more attention.

[DGayle]

She said that she would never be able to get a social justice leadership position again without a published explanation of her side (that she identifies as black which is different than identifying as African American.) So I guess she plans to hand out books on job interviews.

$he can publi$h her $ide on a blog, or con$ider her $tatement$ to the pre$$ to be publiShed. I wonder why $he think$ a whole entire book i$ nece$$ary to get her $ide out there. Any gue$$e$?

[Geechee Girl]

I just saw this article, about Rosenwald schools for Black children in the American south: http://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-the-j ... eep-south/ (unbroken, news site)

As I said above, the NAACP has always had white involvement. It is possible to use your own struggles to tap into empathy for another group, to speak to members of an oppressed group and find out what their most pressing needs are, and to do good, necessary work to improve things - without pretending to be something that you are not.

Thanks for the link. I learned something new today. I'm looking forward to seeing the documentary. Some comments after the article through me for a loop. Has there been bad blood between Jews and blacks within the US? Are blacks known for being antisemitic? This is news to me. My town had the 3rd oldest synagogue in the colonies. Jews & blacks were marginalized, so they supported one another. Blacks & Jews were allies socially and economically.

We could have a great game with this. Let's call it Shit Dolezal Could Call Her Book, and see where it goes. If it hits close, you can sue for royalties.

"Black Like Me"

"Soul Sister"

"Born in the Wrong Skin"

[2xx1xy1JD]

Geechee Girl - there's certainly a historic alliance between both groups. Among whites, Jews had experienced discrimination and knew that they were often seen as less than totally white, so there was a certain natural empathy. A number of Jews were involved in the Civil Rights movement.

Any "bad blood" is more recent, and it tends to exist in specific pockets. From what I understand, over time they had some conflicting interests. For example, the New York Teachers' strike in 1968 pitted blacks and Jews against each other - the New York City school board abruptly fired some staff, almost all of whom were Jewish, when it moved to give more community control to a predominantly black neighborhood in Brooklyn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_ ... ke_of_1968 I've also heard of problems in the Crown Heights area of Brooklyn, where the 2 main groups are blacks and Lubavitch Jews. There were riots in 1991, but it's been improving: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/20- ... e-1.945007

[Geechee Girl]

Ah, I see it seems to an issue up north in pockets. You post very educational links, and I appreciate your efforts. I learn so much here.

[Nic]

I think Jessica Williams (Daily Show) said it best when referring to what Dolezal is doing:

"You can't just appropriate persecution because it's 'cool.' We don't need oppression cosplay. We need allies, not replacements."

[MatthewDuggar]

I hear about her feeling she has to write a book to justify herself. What a bizarre attention-seeking freak.