Controversy was sparked surrounding Rachel Dolezal, who was head of the Spokane, Wash., chapter of the NAACP, after it was revealed that she allegedly lied about being black. Dolezal, 37, gained national recognition after her parents outed her as being Caucasian by birth. Since the controversy, Dolezal stepped down from her position at the NAACP, but still insists that she identifies as black.
Most people are probably wondering why she would fake being a race that she was not born into, but there is more to Dolezal, so here are four things might not have known about her:
Her brother Joshua is awaiting trial on sex abuse charges
Joshua Dolezal, 39, was accused of sexually assaulting a black child multiple times between 2001 or 2002 at the Colorado home of his parents, Lawrence and Ruthanne Dolezal. The incidents were reported to authorities in 2013, and Joshua was arrested last year. He is now faced with four felony counts of sexual assault in the state of Colorado and is out on $15,000 bail as he awaits his trial. It is believed that Rachel may have contributed to his arrest to win custody of her adopted brother, Izaiah.
She’s in talks for her own reality show
Race faker or not, Dolezal has received multiple offers to film a reality show and also wants professional representation. After making an appearance on “Today,” she was approached with offers for two reality shows from different production companies. A source told Radar, “Rachel wants to use all of the publicity to raise awareness about race relations.”
Her brother Ezra said she had a secret life
Dolezal’s other adopted brother, Ezra, said that she told him not to let anyone know she didn’t have a black father as she had claimed. “She told me not to blow her cover about the fact that she had this secret life or alternate identity,” the 22-year-old said. “She said she was starting a new life [in Spokane] … and this one person over there was actually going to be her black father.” Ezra found his sister’s actions to be a “slap in the face.” “She doesn’t know what it’s like to be black,” he said. “She’s only been African-American when it benefited her. She hasn’t been through all the struggles. She’s only been African-American the last few years.”
She filed a discrimination lawsuit against Howard U in 2002
Dolezal filed a suit against the historically black school in Washington, D.C., claiming she had been discriminated against due to her race, pregnancy, gender and family responsibilities. Dolezal, going by her then-married name of Rachel Moore, said that because she was white, the school blocked her from being a teaching assistant and refused to hire her after she graduated. She also said that the university removed her art pieces from an exhibition in favor of pieces done by black students. The suit was dismissed two years later.
Jae Monique is a contributing journalist for TheBlot Magazine.
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