The race of one of the most prominent faces in Spokane, Washington's black community is under question after her estranged mother claimed she is white but is "being dishonest and deceptive with her identity."
Rachel Dolezal, 37, is the head of the local chapter of the NAACP and has identified herself as at least partly African-American. But her Montana birth certificate says she was born to two parents who say they are Caucasian. The parents shared that document and old photos with CNN.
"We are her birth parents," Lawrence Dolezal told CNN on Friday. "We do not understand why she feels it's necessary to misrepresent her ethnicity."
Rachel Dolezal's father, Larry Dolezal, said that he and her mother are both white.
"She's our birth daughter and we're both of European descent," he said, adding, "we're puzzled. He could not fully explain why his daughter might have wanted to pose as a black woman.
But, he added: "She has over the past 20 years assimilated herself into the African-American community through her various advocacy and social justice work, and so that may be part of the answer."
He went on to say that Rachel cut off all communication with him and her mother, and "doesn't want us visible in the Spokane area in her circle because we're Caucasian."
According to the Spokesman-Review, Dolezal misrepresented herself on her application for the city commission, writing that her ethnicity included white, black, and American Indian. Officials told the Spokesman-Review they were investigating whether she violated any city policies.
Dolezal said she found a threatening package in the NAACP's post office box in February.
But postal workers told police the envelope was not timestamped or canceled. The only way the letter could have gotten into the box was if it had been placed there by a post office employee or by someone who had the P.O. Box key.
Dolezal told the station she would never falsify something so serious.
Dolezal was quoted referring to "my oldest son Izaiah."
But Larry Dolezal said that Izaiah is actually Rachel's adopted brother.
About five years ago, when Izaiah was 16, he opted to go live with Rachel, Larry Dolezal said, at which time she obtained guardianship. Still, he told BuzzFeed News that he and his wife, Ruthanne, remain Izaiah's legal parents.
Larry and Ruthanne eventually lost contact with Izaiah, and on Thursday did not know where he was. Larry added that Thursday is Izaiah's 21st birthday.
Rachel hinted to the Press recently that Izaiah was her brother:
He also denied claims made by Rachel to local media that she had been abused by her parents.
In addition to herself, Rachel told the Press that Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal had abused her siblings as children. She also maintained that she was black.
"They can DNA test me if they want to," she told the newspaper.
Rachel's parents adopted 4 black children and ever since then she associated herself as being black.
Her parents who are white say she is passing off her younger adopted black brother as her own son.
"She's our birth daughter and we're both of European descent," he said, adding, "we're puzzled. He could not fully explain why his daughter might have wanted to pose as a black woman.
But, he added: "She has over the past 20 years assimilated herself into the African-American community through her various advocacy and social justice work, and so that may be part of the answer."
He went on to say that Rachel cut off all communication with him and her mother, and "doesn't want us visible in the Spokane area in her circle because we're Caucasian."
According to the Spokesman-Review, Dolezal misrepresented herself on her application for the city commission, writing that her ethnicity included white, black, and American Indian. Officials told the Spokesman-Review they were investigating whether she violated any city policies.
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| Rachel as a teenager |
The city of Spokane later sent out a press release that the package contained racist messages and death threats. The city statement reiterated that it was the ninth hate crime Dolezal had experienced.
"It is deplorable and shocking that Ms. Dolezal should be experiencing hateful and malicious threats. We stand strongly in solidarity with her, as a university and as a campus community," Eastern Washington University President Mary Cullinan added in a statement.
Dolezal told the station she would never falsify something so serious.
About five years ago, when Izaiah was 16, he opted to go live with Rachel, Larry Dolezal said, at which time she obtained guardianship. Still, he told BuzzFeed News that he and his wife, Ruthanne, remain Izaiah's legal parents.
Larry and Ruthanne eventually lost contact with Izaiah, and on Thursday did not know where he was. Larry added that Thursday is Izaiah's 21st birthday.
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| She wrote this post after she watched 12 Years A Slave at the cinema |
Rachel Dolezal confirmed in a recent phone interview with The Press that Izaiah is one of her adopted brothers."The last we heard he was either attending pre-law at the University of Idaho in Moscow, or through the branch campus in Spokane or in Coeur d'Alene," Larry said.
"He used to be my brother," she said. "But I have full custody of him now."
In addition to herself, Rachel told the Press that Larry and Ruthanne Dolezal had abused her siblings as children. She also maintained that she was black.
"They can DNA test me if they want to," she told the newspaper.
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