NAACP spokesperson pretends to be black.

Boges · June 15, 2015

http://news.yahoo.com/rachel-dolezal-resigns-as-leader-from-naacp-spokane-chapter--160937684.html

Rachel Dolezal stepped down from her position as the president of an NAACP chapter in Washington State on Monday days after her ethnic identity became a national controversy

The civil rights activist, 37, made the announcement in an open letter posted on Facebook to the organizations executive committee and members.

It is with complete allegiance to the cause of racial and social justice and the NAACP that I step aside from the Presidency and pass the baton to my Vice President, Naima Quarles-Burnley, she wrote.

Dolezal said that her administration in Spokane has been dedicated to fighting against injustices that face the African-American community, such as police brutality, biased school curriculums and economic disenfranchisement.

In a world where it's becoming mainstream for men to live as women and vice versa, is pretending to be part of another racial group horrific?

Does doing something like this show some sort of mental health condition? Should we be outraged at this woman or sympathetic that she felt that she wanted to be something other than how she was born?

Who's really upset about this, and if you are why?

Edited June 15, 2015 by Boges

bush_cheney2004 · June 15, 2015

No big deal....President Obama has been passing as "black" for years now !

Big Guy · June 15, 2015

The problem appears to be that many blacks believe that a person who is not black - does not know what it is to be black. For this reason her participation in the NAACP executive is suspect.

It does not bother me because I have been asking for years as to what triggers a genetic association with a group?

I'll use black and white as examples; Mother black, father black - child is black. Mother black, father white - child is ?

Over the years, I have been fascinated at what percentage of one's heritage is required for identification which can be a positive or a negative label - Jews in Germany, Aboriginals in Canada etc. If a Canadian's grandfather was aboriginal ( 1/4 native) do they qualify for a native card (good thing - do not pay taxes)? In Germany, did a person who was 1/16 Jewish (not good for survival) considered for execution?

A person who is 1/16 black and 1/4 oriental is considered ...?

Edited June 15, 2015 by Big Guy

bush_cheney2004 · June 15, 2015

Race is an artificial social construct. The NAACP should know better than to be baited into this can of worms.

msj · June 15, 2015

I think the above two posts by BC_2004 and Big Guy demonstrate the difficulty with trying to class BC as a "troll."

In one pithy, funny, statement BC stated what took Big Guy five separate paragraphs.

Brilliant.

TimG · June 15, 2015

The problem appears to be that many blacks believe that a person who is not black - does not know what it is to be black. For this reason her participation in the NAACP executive is suspect.

A trans-women tried to volunteer at a rape crisis line in Vancouver and was told only real women could do the job. I think the reaction is the same:

http://www.rapereliefshelter.bc.ca/shelter-movement/women-only-space/women-only-space

On Guard for Thee · June 15, 2015

No big deal....President Obama has been passing as "black" for years now !

Sounds like something the Donald would say.

Black Dog · June 15, 2015

The problem appears to be that many blacks believe that a person who is not black - does not know what it is to be black. For this reason her participation in the NAACP executive is suspect.

The NAACP has had white members and executives before. The problem isn't that she wasn't black: it's that she pretended she was.

TimG · June 15, 2015

The NAACP has had white members and executives before. The problem isn't that she wasn't black: it's that she pretended she was.

Why is that even an issue then? If a man can claim to be a women because they think they are a woman then why can't white person claim to be black? Why is it ok for people to mock a white person claiming to be black but it is not ok to mock a man claiming to be a woman? Edited June 15, 2015 by TimG

bush_cheney2004 · June 15, 2015

Good questions....is this race fracas going to hurt Justin Bieber's career ?

http://www.thenewsnerd.com/music/justin-bieber-changes-race-to-black/

Shady · June 15, 2015

This person is a transracial individual that deserves our respect and dignity. If this person identifies as being black, who are we to suggest otherwise? Anyone can be anything they want nowadays. Apparently that's progress. I'm thinking of being Asian soon, but haven't 100% decided yet.

Canada_First · June 15, 2015

She took scholarship meant for blacks. She told people that her brother was her son. Told everyone that she was raised in South Africa and that she was whipped like a slave when she misbehaved. Said her father was black. Sued an all black university so she could go there. many problems....many....many....problems....

But I guess white teenagers have been pretending to be black since what? 1999? So it's really no big surprise.

Edited June 15, 2015 by Canada_First

Spiderfish · June 15, 2015

If she self-identifies as black, who are we to say otherwise? Let her be black. Heck, she even tanned and got an afro.

Apparently it was her parents that outed her to everyone, it's a shame in this day and age that they cannot just accept her for who she is.

Spiderfish · June 15, 2015

The problem isn't that she wasn't black: it's that she pretended she was.

How is this a problem? Maybe she "feels" black and is expressing based on her feelings. Maybe the problem is with everyone else.

Canada_First · June 15, 2015

How is this a problem? Maybe she "feels" black and is expressing based on her feelings. Maybe the problem is with everyone else.

So can i claim to be FN so that i may get some reparations too?

cybercoma · June 15, 2015

If a man can claim to be a women because they think they are

Still having a tough time understanding transgender people, eh? Particularly transgender women, I see. It's rare, if ever, that you mention transgender men.

Bryan · June 15, 2015

There's something particularly delicious about an incident that can tie both the lunacy and the hypocrisy of the left up in such a neat little bow.

cybercoma · June 15, 2015

There's something particularly delicious about an incident that can tie both the lunacy and the hypocrisy of the left up in such a neat little bow.

It's only hypocrisy to those who continue to have incredible difficulties understanding things like race and gender.

Canada_First · June 15, 2015

It's only hypocrisy to those who continue to have incredible difficulties understanding things like race and gender.

Wait, wait, so now you're saying that one can choose their race just as easily as their gender?

TimG · June 15, 2015

Still having a tough time understanding transgender people, eh?

I see you are still having problems distinguishing your personal opinions from facts. If one deals with people with mental illnesses it is necessary to separate the self perceptions of afflicted people from reality. In this case, the person was not, in fact, black, however, she likely believes she is black. This is really no different from any transgender person.

SO the interesting question is how society should deal with people whose self-image contradicts their biology. In this case, we have two examples which produce completely opposite reactions from the same group of people which shows that the belief system that produces these reactions is an arbitrary social construct rather than a fact.

Edited June 15, 2015 by TimG

Remiel · June 16, 2015

Have you guys been leaving offerings on the altar of False Equivalency, or what? Sexuality is not a concept, it is a real thing independent of our narrative around it. Not so with race.

Imagine growing up on an island as a heterosexual person without ever seeing or ever being taught that there is such a thing as another sex. Once you hit puberty you will start to feel things that regardless, even if you cannot describe what it is your feelings are trying to tell you.

Now, imagine growing up on an island and everyone around you is exactly the same "race" and no one has a clue that people that have different types of features even exist. No one is going to spontaneously have "racial" urges because race is not equivalent to sex.

You may say, "Well, gender is not the same thing as sex." Well duh. But transgender is eminently related to transsexual. There is nothing for "transracial" to map onto at all. Not to mention that the idea of a transracial black or white or Asian is just stupid, because it divorces race from ethnicity. You cannot be black without being descended from some kind or many kinds of African. Trying to be black without having even an idea that you might Nigerian, South African, Congolese, Somali, or Zulu or Massai is just absurd. That is not being transracial, it is just being transcultural. Or assimilated.

Bryan · June 16, 2015

Modern Liberalism. Where the hypocrisy is not a bug, it's the main feature.

TimG · June 16, 2015

Have you guys been leaving offerings on the altar of False Equivalency, or what? Sexuality is not a concept, it is a real thing independent of our narrative around it.

False. Transgender is an arbitrary social construct because our society has different roles for men and women. A society where men and women had exactly the same roles, wore the same clothing and were otherwise identical would not have any transgender because the concept would make no sense. Same with race where gradual mixing of races renders such distinctions irrelevant.