Jelani Cobb on Rachel Dolezal: “This Person is Not Black” 

Maybe being black is just a state of mind?

Paul Frederick it's both a state of mind and social perception. If you appear black it over rides the state of mind. If you don't appear black but have a black state of mind do to social engineering or self infliction then you can be black unless you are exposed as a fraud having white parents then the perception takes precedence.

Intel-Pick Perception is reality. It is a difficult concept for any of us to fully appreciate though. The fact is evolution has carefully crafted us to not experience the full effect reality would have on us if indeed we were subjected to it. It is a coping mechanism. One most of us are not even aware of. We live out of sight, and out of mind.

Paul Frederick I don't believe in evolution, but I can appreciate your words and your understanding. Peace brother .

Intel-Pick You may not believe in evolution, but evolution believes in you.

Cherie McFadden affinity*

For sure

I disagree- Why is it cool for us Blacks and others to Worship want to be White but Whites embracing Blackness is wrong???

I feel sad for both Rachel and her parents. She should still apologize for the deceit, The Howard University thing would make anyone mad especially if they were discriminating over her pregnancy, so she brought up her biology. Her working for Black, marrying black men and having black siblings and children, made a utopic race confusion and entrenchment in her soul hence her identifying as BLACK. If she apologize for the NAACP, and her parents she would be welcome by many.

I agree! I am a dark skin black woman who experienced racism outside my home. I am very fortunate to have a wonderful MOM and Wonderful grandparents that made me feel so beautiful and I am so grateful to them for instilling in me that " you are beautiful " and never let anyone tell you otherwise. This made me who I am today. I feel I am a smart, likeable, confident person. All because of how I was treated with nothing but love. I have a wonderful husband of 21 years and 2 children that adore me. Colorism is a problem within the black community. It is ridiculous!

Joseph Kerr thank you! THANK YOU! And as someone who is half African American, I've struggled my entire life looking to be embraced by my own community. I don't know my other half. My mom is black and that's who raised me. My stepfather is black. It's all I know. But when people look at me, I get full Hispanic or half Hispanic half middle eastern. And while I don't mind that bc I do get a peek inside how middle easterners are treated, I still have always yearned to be accepted and fit in with the black community. I haven't experienced the same amount or even some of the same kinds of racial discrimination that my mom and stepfather have experienced since they are black in appearance but those who did know my parents were black and those who found out that I was black have called me the n word, have prohibited their children from associating with me, and have attempted to place me in remedial courses in school. As far as the police, I feel that I've only been profiled as a Hispanic person and even the South Carolina DMV checked me off as a Hispanic voter when I failed to mark the checkbox. Although my family have touted that, as someone who is light skinned, I have greater opportunities and less chance of being discriminated against - people that look at me don't see white or black and so any discrimination I may face is based around Hispanic or middle eastern origin. But my main issue is that I've often wished that I was a bit darker when I was younger so I would fit in and not look out of place in groups or pictures- and this woman just claimed an experience she didn't have so she could perpetrate a fraud and it's very unfair and very hurtful. And it's very unnerving that there are those in the black community that want to give this woman a pass who used her whiteness to sue an HBCU and then switched all for her benefit. Faking hate crimes is an insult to every Black person who had been the victim of hate crime and I don't think our community is that desperate for "good deeds and things" that we should excuse not only the fact that she lied and manipulated us but also destroyed her own parents who did nothing but raise her and give her things many of the children in our community don't have so she could be successful. It's just not ok. And if the roles were reversed we'd all be up in arms.

Joseph Kerr My main issue is her reasoning for her thinking. She hasn't once given a proper explanation for her thinking she is black. I truly think she is suffering a mental disorder.

Halsey is an example of someone who is half black who looks completely white and people are shocked to find out that her father is black.

nobody actually born black skin, maybe dark brown skin not black. the word black use for political label to identify colour americans(groups).

maeve quinn Y'know... people can praise her work and condemn her deception simultaneously. No one's saying she's a bad person. Some people (like myself) are just saying that she can't be Black. Shouldn't be a big deal.

Helios77711 You might be right. I try to give people the benefit of doubt but I see where you're coming from. Certainly, a person trying to do the right thing wouldn't have done what she did, nor would they continue to blatantly repeat their lies afterward, without any apology to those she deceived and those she hurt.

Shawn C Gomez What likely doesn't sit well with you is that this White woman appropriated the Black identity and that some Black people think it's okay because she's done years of good work on behalf of Black people. That uneasy feeling in your gut is an unconscious understanding of the implications this will have on an already discriminated-against, color-struck people, if tolerated. That said, she's not a bad person, but what she did was definitely unnecessary and selfish.

Joseph Kerr ahhh i get u bruh

She didn't " appropriate " black identity because black identity is NOT biracial.!!! If anything she is appropriating them by claiming to be black when neither they nor her are black. Yet if they can claim black when they clearly are not, then so should she. What shouldn't sit comfortably with black people is how blazingly this man claims biracials as black, when most of then self identify ( when given the choice and not forced ) as biracial and NOT black !!!

Her family is trying to kill her credibility. Her brother was arrested for sex abuse of a child and Rachel is on the side of the victim. now, when and if she has to testify no one will belive her.

*****​​ well are you black or biracial? ive heard, seen, and know biracial ppl who identify as black. So thats debateable... i say let them choose as they please.

There is a far cry between a white person listening to and enjoying hip hop and this woman thinking she is a black person. This is not multiculturalism. It’s racial appropriation.

Those kids, of white parents, came into the world looking mixed

***** Or the other way around.

I personally thought he was the main character on Breaking Bad...

Post Malone or Marshall Mathers never claimed to be black.