Rachel Dolezal

Rachel Anne Doležal (born November 12, 1977), also known as Nkechi Amare Diallo, is an American former civil rights activist known for claiming to be a black woman while being of white-European ancestry and having no known black or African ancestry. Doležal was president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter in Spokane, Washington, from February 7, 2014 until June 15, 2015 when she resigned. She received further public scrutiny when her white parents publicly stated that Doležal was a white woman passing as black. The statement by Doležal's parents in June 2015 followed Doležal's reports to police and local news media that she had been the victim of hate crimes; however, a subsequent police investigation cast doubt on Doležal's allegations. Doležal, who maintains that she identifies as black, fueled a national debate in the United States about racial identity. Doležal's critics state that she has committed cultural appropriation and fraud; Doležal and her defenders state that her self-identification is genuine, even if not based on race or ancestry. In a November 2015 television interview, Doležal publicly stated for the first time since the controversy began that she was born white but still identified as black. In the aftermath of the controversy, Doležal was dismissed from her position as an instructor in Africana studies at Eastern Washington University and removed by the city council as chair of the police ombudsman commission over "a pattern of misconduct." She subsequently published her memoir, In Full Color, where she defended her claims. Netflix has released a documentary on Doležal, The Rachel Divide, which describes her history and self-identification, and examines the arguments of her and her critics. Doležal was charged by the state of Washington with felony theft, perjury and welfare fraud in May 2018. Prosecutors claim that she lied about her assets and was financially secure (with tens of thousands of dollars in donations and other revenue) at the time she was receiving welfare, and claiming to be indigent.