SPOKANE, Wash. — Controversy is swirling around one of the Spokane region’s most prominent civil rights activists, with family members saying the local leader of the NAACP has falsely portrayed herself as black for years.
Rachel Dolezal is president of the Spokane chapter of the NAACP, chair of the city’s Office of Police Ombudsman Commission, and an adjunct professor at Eastern Washington University.
The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday that questions have arisen about her background and her numerous complaints to police of harassment. The story was first reported by the Coeur d’Alene Press.
Dolezal’s mother, Ruthanne, says the family’s ancestry is Czech, Swedish and German, with a touch of Native American heritage.
Her mother and father told KXLY that they are both white, and Rachel is their biological daughter.
The station interviewed Dolezal regarding her a photo posted to the NAACP Spokane Facebook page in which she apparently identifies an African-American man as her father:
The NAACP released a statement on Dolezal Friday, saying they respect her privacy and reaffirming that "racial identity is not a qualifying criteria" to be part of NAACP leadership.
Here is the group's full statement:
The mayor and City Council president say an inquiry is underway into whether she violated city polices when she listed herself as white, black and American Indian on her board application.
Ruthanne Dolezal says her daughter would have been more effective if she were honest.