Dolezal just completely lost me - Can't be white and the mother to a black child?

[JustAnotherGen]

http://www.today.com/news/rachel-dolezal-speaks-today-show-matt-lauer-after-naacp-resignation-t26371?cid=sm_fbn

Rachel Dolezal's race was questioned nationally after the veracity of a claim she made about being a recent hate crime victim was challenged. She also identified herself as multiracial on an application to join a police oversight commission in Spokane.

She said she truly began identifying as black when she received custody of one of her brothers, Izaiah, who she now considers a son.

"He said, 'You're my real mom.' And he's in high school, and for that to be something that is plausible, I certainly can't be seen as white and be Isiah's mom," she said.

That is the biggest load of bullshit I've heard in my life.

My mother is as white as white comes - and she never felt she had to say she was 'black' to be my mother.

She's never done that.

It is completely possible AND plausible that a white woman who is the mother to black children can view the world throw THEIR lens without having to play make believe.

Done.

I understand there is probably a lot more trauma than has come out about her upbringing - but seriously.

She lost me. Horse feathers!

[gollygee]

1. That is indeed ridiculous

I know a great number of white moms to black children, and I've never known anyone to think they had to change their own racial identity. She's grasping at straws.

There is no excuse for what she did. There are reasons, and her crazy family might be one, that "reverse racism" lawsuiit points strongly at another. But this is not a reason or an excuse.

[Evergreen Emerald]

2. I feel sorry for her.

She appears so smart and has been successful in her career. But, she definitely has mental health issues.

[marym625]

3. turns out her art most likely isn't hers.

And she sued Brown for discrimination because she is white. The suit was thrown out but she still did it.

I agree with you completely.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

4. What, like Barack Obama's mom?

Every new thing she (Dolezal) says, every new news article that comes out, she just looks worse and worse. She doesn't just come off as someone nutty who honestly believes they're black for some unknown reason, but simply a grifter, looking for ways to 'be a successful black woman' as opposed to being another run of the mill white woman. Someone who saw the movie 'Soul Man' and decided she could use the premise to take what would have otherwise have gone to a real black woman, whether a teaching gig, a political leadership spot, or anything else she could grab.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Like my mom Erich!

I don't even have to go to Obama's mom. Seriously - this is just complete unreasonable to me.

My mom gave birth to me.

My friend Cathi (adopted from Korea) - her mom has never pretended to be Korean.

My friend Kate's dad (same family dynamic as me with the opposite parent) he never pretended to be black.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

17. Like me. I'm white.

My son is bi-racial. He's in his early 40's. I married his (black) father in the early 70's.

We lived in the DC for a few years and then moved to all places Spokane Washington. When it comes to Dolezal, I'm almost speechless. Gobsmacked.

I can't imagine why you would have to pretend to be black to raise a bi-racial child. Wouldn't that confuse them - to say the least? I did run into a few people who didn't believe I was his mother.

The thing that gets me the most is we were treated so nice in Spokane. People went out of their way to be nice. We lived there for about 5 years. I still live close enough I get the local Spokane TV and remember the hate crimes she reported to the police - especially the noose one. I couldn't figure out why things had changed there so much. Now I know. Racial Rachel had moved to town.

[JustAnotherGen]

19. Thank you for this

You guys are my parents contemporaries.

When I was little - my dad would get "that" - I was very fair and had light hair.

Then when I was getting to be about 8/9 my hair went auburn brown and I got darker - and my mom would get that.

I pulled a funny on my dad once at Seabreeze Amusement Park (you can probably guess what that was ) and my mom was sooooo mad!

And I agree - that would be very confusing . . . In the 1970's my parents explained lighter faces and darker faces - and that pretty much worked for me!

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Wow...does she hear herself? What a racist statement.

I keep thinking...I read that her parents adopted ...two?...black kids ( apparently Izaiah is one of them)
am wondering what issues around that she may be working out.

[JustAnotherGen]

7. Especially from a woman who was raised in her parents race

Didn't have adopted siblings until she was grown . . .

And claims a black man is her 'Dad'. <--- I don't question that. She has heart space for that man.

But it's kind a cheap shot at women in general - regardless of their race and race of their children.

[Sissyk]

8. That blew me away this morning.

Here, in my house, watching her on Matt Laur, and she says that. I (a white southern woman) looked at my black son (not 1/2 black, his bio parents were killed in a drunk driver crash) and he looked at me, and we laughed.

It was either laugh with him, or curse and throw something at the TV.

We have done great in this family with one black son and one white son. Neither feels any less loved, taken care of, respected, than the other. It has not a damn thing to do with race when you care for a child. You raise them from a child to be a good person.

I'm done with her.

Sorry for intruding, JAG, but I couldn't let this one go without commenting.

[JustAnotherGen]

9. not intruding at all

Thank you because your experience is extremely relevant!

[Sissyk]

11. Thank you!

I was extremely confused about this girl until she said that. I may still be confused, but I'm not so sure anymore it's all "pure". To sit there and not answer any of those questions honestly. She STILL lied about it all. However, that was one of the most stupid things she said.

I, mean, I have black blood going back 4 generations, but I don't call myself black just because of that. I don't call myself black because I have a black son, either. It's not honest.

I'm white. His father is white. His brother is white. His Aunts and Uncles are black. He learns things from us all equally and will (well, he already has) turn out to be one fine young man.

[Lochloosa]

10. Well done.

[Sissyk]

12. Thank you!

[shanti]

13. ITA with you

i'm also the white mom of a b/w biracial son, who's 25. it would be ludicrous for me to insist that i was a black woman! i can't even wrap my head around it. dolezal is really doubling down with that crap.

i wonder what her childhood friends have to say about this mess...

[lovemydog]

14. Thanks for that link JAG.

I watched the Today show interview. I wish her & her kids well.

She really rubs me the wrong way. Using buzz words. With little thought behind them.

I find this conversation fascinating. I wonder why people have such different views about it. Integrity is important.

To your point, where she claims she can't be seen as white and be Isaiah's mom. Yes, I too saw that as a load of bullshit.

Yesterday so many things came out that it was difficult to keep up. There will be more revelations. It's like a weird soap opera. As The Stomach Turns.

[JI7]

15. i think people felt bad for her at first

that she just wanted to help a community she loves and feels close to though may have went about it the wrong way.

But the more we learn about her past and her own statements we see it seems to be all about her.

[carolinayellowdog]

16. make believe by itself would be pathetic, but the resume-building aspect is corrupt

I can fully relate to a person in a racially mixed family not feeling as "white" as other whites without such personal experience. And also feel that we white members of mixed families have a special responsibility to speak up on racial injustice issues we observe in society. Working for NAACP is something so inherently positive that I want to cut her a bit of slack for wanting to do that with her life. But this whole masquerade/charade was and is so tied into her livelihood in academia that I feel disgusted by how she exploited the entire community as well as the organization. The Ward Churchill episode seems to be a pseudo-Native American equivalent. Someone who worked his way into positions of trust based on a fictional persona and then got caught.

There is an underlying power struggle with the mother over the adopted son/brother and Rachel thought adopting a black appearance and life story would strengthen her position. Maybe the failure of the marriage had something to do with this-- did it follow or precede the creation of the pseudo black identity? With this Pandora's box open, we may be hearing from the ex-husband's POV eventually. There are layers upon layers of weirdness in this story.

[Number23]

18. The word 'transracial' that people have been stupidly using to refer to Ms. Rachel was actually

created to refer to adoptions where parents of one race adopt children from another.

So we'll just add this to the GROWING list of things she knows fuck all about. 'Cause I'm sure that by now you've seen where she sued Howard University for discriminating against her because she was...

wait for it...


WHITE???!!!

[lovemydog]

20. Honestly Number23

it's one of the weirdest & funniest stories I've seen in a long time. You're right, she doesn't know fuck all about much of anything. Laughing to keep from crying. I just watched her interview with Melissa Harris-Perry. The segment entitled 'What's Up With Your Hair?' left me speechless. Through this story I'm learning. More from Melissa Harris-Perry and Tamara Winfrey Harris and posters here than from that odd person who uses buzz words strung into gobbledegook. I tell ya, I'm learning!



http://www.msnbc.com/melissa-harris-perry/watch/whats-up-with-your-hair-465673283926

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/16/opinion/rachel-dolezals-harmful-masquerade.html