If you are on Twitter, the hype over Rachel Dolezal is inescapable. With trending hashtags like #AskRachel and #RachelDolezal, it is evident that she has been making a lasting impression on social media. It is, however, easy to get caught up in the mix of the jokes and humor surrounding the name as opposed to the actual issues at hand.
So, who actually is Rachel Dolezal? Dolezal is a Howard University graduate, the current president of the Spokane NAACP chapter and a professor of African-American studies at Eastern Washington University. Her family recently exposed that she has been falsely portraying her race through lies for many years (since about 2006 or 2007). On her applications and documents, she has identified herself as black, white, and American Indian, which her family claims is not true and that her true heritage is strictly white.
Dolezal represented herself as a partially black woman by altering her appearance. She wears self-tanner daily and has changed her hair to mimic that of a stereotypical African-American woman. This change in physical appearance to represent a different race has been labeled as “transracial” in the media.
So, what is the debate/issue? Especially with Caitlyn Jenner representing the transgender community in the media, Rachel Dolezal’s “transracial” behavior has sparked some major debate.
Some argue that Dolezal’s change is no different than Jenner’s and that her decision to portray herself as African-American by altering her appearance is equivalent to Caitlyn changing her body and physical appearance to become a woman. Others argue that the two are totally different and that being transgendered goes both ways while “transracial” does not. It is easy for Dolezal to put on makeup and change her hair to pretend to be black, but someone from the black community could not simply change their physical appearance to act or be white. Those that argue this believe that “transracial” does not describe those that alter their physical appearance to change their identity, but instead, the word represents those that immerse themselves in the culture of another race and actively pursue that lifestyle.
So, the bottom line/my opinion. The bottom line is that Dolezal did in fact lie about her background, family history, and life events to better portray herself as the stereotypical black woman, which is ultimately racist. There is no way that someone can just change their race because not everyone has the opportunity to do that. If Dolezal were to be pulled over by one of the police officers that unfairly treated someone in the black community, she would still have the opportunity to “be white”.
Let’s face it, white privilege exists, and it is unfair to the black community having someone pretend to truly be a part of that race if they can turn on their white privilege whenever it is convenient for them. I am sure some members of the black community when they are embarrassed through racial slurs or are beaten for no reason wish they could simply change their race. They cannot. Dolezal, however, can choose to be white or black whenever she pleases.
If Dolezal chose to immerse herself in African-American culture as a physically white woman and went on to hold positions of power that promoted black rights, then she would truly be making an impact and statement. Sure, Dolezal might feel as though she fits in better with a certain group of people, and she has every right to change her look to what she feels comfortable with; however, she cannot lie to change her identity and standing in a community.
