Josh Marshall: Rachel Dolezal isn't 'transracial', she's a liar.
I read the Rachel Dolezal story before it got picked up by any national outlets in the original story in the Coeur d'Alene Press on Thursday (yes, epic aggregation fail ... what can I say I was traveling). If you've only read pick-ups or follow-ups, read the original if you get a chance. It's an amazing piece of reporting and will make you appreciate what a great thing small paper journalism is - just an amazingly detailed piece of shoe-leather reporting. Since I read it I've been trying to think what if anything there is to add beyond the peristaltic WTF that seems to be the near universal response.
So let me just go with bullet points.
Point 1: The one simple thing is the online debate about whether Dolezal is simply 'transracial' like Caitlyn Jenner is transgender. No. It's not like that. In fact, I think we can dispense with this entirely because I have not seen anyone suggesting this anywhere online who wasn't just some wingnut concern-trolling transgenderism and frankly racial identity itself. You can dress yourself up however you want and identify however you want. But when you start making up black parents and all the rest that went into this story, you're just lying. Full stop.
When I was a little boy I lived in a very mixed race environment. My mother's best friend and her best friend's sister (among many other biracial couple in their social set) were both married to African-American men. They, obviously, had African-American children. And in a thousand little ways they had acclimated and identified with the African-American family, social sets and even to some degree the broader African-American culture they had become part of. All except for the part of them being ... well, WHITE. What identification, solidarity, whatever was what it was. They weren't making up phony life stories.
Skin color tone is biological. But race really is a social construct, as my grad school prof, Doug Cope, helped me understand. And often, especially for racially ambiguous people, it's a permeable one. But if you invent black parents and say you were born in a teepee you're just lying. As for the folks pushing 'transracialism', please just shut up. You're either guilty of malicious provocation or you're just really stupid.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/severely-black-the-rachel-dolezal-story
= new reply since forum marked as read
Last edited Sun Jun 14, 2015, 02:23 PM - Edit history (1)
who needs psychiatric help. The NAACP should put her on medical leave pending a complete evaluation.
rocktivity
Last edited Fri Mar 18, 2016, 01:36 AM - Edit history (6)
CDApress.com:Dolezal sent a message to NAACP members saying she would address the situation at a Monday night meeting of the group... "As you probably know by now, there are questions and assumptions swirling in national and global news about my family, my race, my credibility, and the NAACP...I have discussed the situation, including personal matters, with the Executive Committee.
"I support their decision to wait until Monday to make a statement. The Executive team asked that I also release my response statement at the same time, which will be during the 7-9 p.m. monthly membership meeting."
TRANSLATION: "I have negotiated a severance with the Executive Committee, and despite their public support, I will be announcing my resignation during the 7-9 p.m. monthly membership meeting -- as we have agreed."
The Spokane NAACP announced...on its Facebook page..."Due to the need to continue discussion with regional and national NAACP leaders, tomorrow's meeting is postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date. We appreciate your patience and understanding at this time."
...A new meeting date was not announced on the Facebook page.
...(C)hapter board member Lawrence Burnley emailed NAACP members to say he doesn’t believe Dolezal has the authority to postpone the meeting...and noted the chapter's executive committee is scheduled to meet today.
(Link to original Coeur d'Alene Press story)
rocktivity
Last edited Mon Jun 15, 2015, 04:26 PM - Edit history (2)
I don't wish her ill -- I mean, I certainly wouldn't wish her ill because she had dementia or cancer or even an addiction problem. Pathological lying is an illness, too, and my is that wish she decides to get help for it.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141118437
rocktivity
