We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
A PROMINENT CIVIL rights activist, who has been a leader of a rights group for African Americans has been disguising herself as a black woman for years, her family says.
Rachel Dolezal has been a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) in Spokane, Washington for a number of years.
This, despite being of Czech, Swedish and German descent.
Taylor Viydo / TwitterDolezal's parents, who live in Troy, MT, say Rachel has been deceiving people. They want people to know the truth. pic.twitter.com/sS3aiUwD0H
— Taylor Viydo (@TViydo) June 11, 2015
Dolezal, originally from Idaho, had become prominent in the media locally, campaigning on race issues and against hate crimes. She had claimed to be a victim of racial harassment, something police say there is little evidence of.
Her mother told the Coeur D’alene Press that Dolezal’s claims that she had been raised by a white stepfather were false and she had, in fact, just celebrated her 41st anniversary with Rachel’s father.
“Rachel is very good at using her artistic skills to transform herself,” Ruthanne Dolezal said.
“It is very disturbing that she has become so dishonest.”
Her parents say Dolezal married and later divorced a black man. They said after the divorce in 2004 Rachel began identifying as the daughter of bi-racial parents.
She had told fellow members that her father was coming to Spokane in January, sharing a picture on the NAACP Facebook page of her with a black man. His failure to show up, coupled with the discovery that she has identified herself as white, black and native American on different forms, raised suspicions.
Asked by a local TV crew if she was African American, she said she “didn’t understand the question” before walking off.
When contacted by the Spokane Spokesman-Review, Dolezal said the issue was “multilayered” and “We’re all from the African continent.”
She added that the controversy was sparked by an ugly litigation process with family members.
Reaction
Spokane’s City Hall says it is investigating the issue, but there is no indication that anything illegal was done.
The issue caught fire on Twitter last night, trending across the US. Some have accused Dolezal of cultural appropriation, but others have likened the case to that of Caitlyn Jenner.
Charles Clymer / TwitterIt's not just her appropriation. It's that she claimed an oppression that wasn't hers. #RachelDolezal pic.twitter.com/we4yn3aAlk
— Charlotte Clymer 🇺🇦 (@cmclymer) June 12, 2015
Dolezal’s mother said that the family have long been aware of her racial claims, but only commented when contacted by the media.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Smart move….think before you speak
@Pateen Johncruck: more like wait for the man in your ear piece to think before feeding you the new script off the top of his head. You never notice these pauses until now? All these politicians are told exactly what to say
@Minamino: then someone needs to get Miller out of Trump’s ear
@Minamino: when your country is bolted to the north of a country being run by a megalomaniac, you have to be very, very, very careful what you say in public.
@Minamino: They are probably just reminding themselves of what they decided to say earlier. Off the cuff comments about the big, and recently a bit unhinged, neighbour right beside you are unwise.
Maybe Trump should consider pausing for 21 seconds every time before he speaks.
@Ken: He did pause for 13 seconds, while a rally crowd chanted “Send her back!”.
@David A. Murray: The numnuts would have to count to 5 four times and add 1 to get his 21 seconds.
@Ken: he should pause for a week before sneaking
@Ken: he prefers his pauses to be scattered throughout the sentence instead
@John Jones: comment of the day….tip ur cap sir.
The king of virtue signalling.
@JackSimpson: Yawn. You guys are so boring.
@JackSimpson: it’s not his fault his mind can think bigger.
@JackSimpson: ‘virtue signaling ‘ is a term that’s been doing the rounds lately with these right wing cranks. It’s an obvious retaliation to their guff been labeled hate speech and I guess they needed to come up with something to use as they attack by nature. The fact that you’re attacking somebody because they are displaying virtue shows your base intent. Stop watching FOX, you’ve been had
@Wayne Connor: Good morning Wayne/ Bmul /other trollish accounts. I hope you slept well. Youve a long day of trolling ahead of you.
The fact that he paused at all was probably enough to trigger the orange man-baby
I think that is a perfectly normal response to the insanity of Trump.
Another Virtue signaling liberal with double standards. He still remembers his blackface pictures. Snowflake guy
@The Equalizer: Congratulations for using all the inflammatory buzzwords you know. Next time see how many you can get in one sentence!
@The Equalizer: You ok hun?
@The Equalizer: Awww, did somebody say something mean about trump? Put your dummy back in and stop throwing your toys out of the pram!!
@The Equalizer: you left out ‘triggered’ and ‘woke’.
@Brendan Heery: didn’t he give powers to his own police force to arrest and prosecute natives that were protesting against their land being forcibly taken from them so for an oil company. No you probably didn’t get feed in your social media platforms as some celebrity didn’t comment on it.
@The Equalizer: how is this “virtue signalling”? He paused before he spoke so he could collect his thoughts.
A lot of internal dialogue going on there!
“Don’t say it” X 21
He didn’t answer the question. He’s a coward
@Jesus Christ:
Disagree. The abomination in the White House is causing many to choose their words carefully because he’s so thin skinned and liable to make really stupid policy decisions that effect millions.
I.e. Paris Agreement, WHO, Trade deals etc etc
Thin skinned and demonstrably stupid.
@Jesus Christ: he did answer the question by saying it was time to listen, that racism is everywhere and enough is enough. If he had answered the question on trump like the media wanted him to, then he would have totally missed the point.
@Jesus Christ: i think he made his point very tactfully.
@Jesus Christ: Because they rely on them for 75% of exports, that’s why he didn’t answer and not because he’s a coward.
@biggybald: In other words… using his loaf.
@Jesus Christ: you mean he didn’t give the answer some people wanted him to. Why should he be drawn into it that way. He was dead right to turn it on themselves and basically say ( in the words of jesus the christ) “first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
” You say it best, when you say nothing at all “
He would have known that question was coming. His response sounded well-rehersed from a prepared script.
I wonder if the pause was intentional to make it seem like he’s a deeper thinker and that he was just coming up with the words that followed in the moment but he messed up the ‘lengthy pause for the gravity of the situation’ by carrying it on a bit too much.
@RogerRamjet: Canadian man bad. Orange man good.
@RogerRamjet: his pause was completely staged. He knew he was going to be asked and he had an answer prepared.
Not a good actor.
@Shazam37: what is wrong with you? Who “stages” a pause? The mental gymnastics your brain performs are incredible. 12 points.
FAKE NEWS us park police have already issued a statement saying they didnt fire tear gas they were smoke grenades and they also had no knowledge trump was going to the church for said photo op. A lie can travel half way round the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/uspp/6_2_20_statement_from_acting_chief_monahan.htm
@paul starrs: concussion grenades too – don’t forget them unless you think the bishop of St. John’s church is lying
@paul starrs: Bill Barr personally ordered the use of force to disperse a peaceful protest according to some sources
@paul starrs: just because the police didn’t know it was for a photo op doesn’t mean it wasn’t for a photo op. See what the leader of the church he went to had to say.
@Dave O’Keeffe: he didnt order them to use tear gas on ” peaceful protesters” the caches of projectiles and weapons they found and the injured officers might be a giveaway
@paul starrs: try again https://deadline.com/2020/06/donald-trump-george-floyd-demonstrators-lafayette-square-park-1202949717/
@paul starrs: https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Episcopal-priest-describes-being-gassed-and-15311873.php
@Thomas Harrington: no such thing as a “concussion” grenade. Concussion is a medical diagnosis not a military ordinance term. Unless you are suggesting that the good bishop is a military ordinance expert…….
Ps, it’s a percussion grenade. Basically a loud banger, one of the safest methods to clear s croud.
@Dave O’Keeffe: yeah that one mentions the weapons cache too lol. Does it mention that this was less than half an hour before the 7pm curfew
@paul starrs: it was still before the curfew. If you were queuing for last orders and were told the bar had closed thirty minutes early I’m sure you would be more than a little surprised.
These were federal police and agents, not DC police and not under the control of the DC police chief. So who issued the orders?
@paul starrs: it mentions police saying there were weapons, it also mentions reporters saying that’s bs. At least I provided a source showing both sides.
Completely staged.
@Shazam37: do you really thinks so? You only mentioned it 3 times already… Are you paid by the quantity of posts?
@Shazam37: I don’t really think it matters, even if it was staged to be honest. Nothing would change if it were not. Same question, same pause, same answer. Trump is a budding dictator and many people are looking on in horror at what the US has become in 4 short years.
@A2 Poster: depends on the point you’re making.
Plenty here are suggesting this shows he “thinks before he speaks” because he paused for 21 seconds before answering. Some have suggested oh he’s better than Trump – he thought about his answer.
The reality is that’s all optics. And the people who think that have been hoodwinked through their own sheer nativity.
The reality is that staged, spun responses like this damage democracy. You can’t get a straight answer from a leader. Lies. Spin. Misleading the public.
As the article says the HONEST answer is “I don’t like him or how he does business but we rely on the States as major trading partners”
The public need to be better informed and realise the actual choices rather than be infantilised by things like this.
Canadians should be aware – sure we can criticise Trump, justifiably, but that might mean you all lose jobs and income.
Same goes here. Let’s make adult choices – and that begins by knowing the actions and the consequences.
@Shazam37: First off, thanks for spending the time to write out a good reply.
“The reality is that staged, spun responses like this damage democracy. You can’t get a straight answer from a leader. Lies. Spin. Misleading the public.”
- This is related to the point I was trying to make above when I said it didn’t matter that it was staged because I don’t think that the answer would change. So I would disagree that what he said was a lie or misleading.
“As the article says the HONEST answer is ‘I don’t like him or how he does business but we rely on the States as major trading partners’”
- It would certainly be more blunt, but the real world doesn’t work this way, and what you have said is a little idealistic. Truth is he needs Trump and the giant economy on his doorstep. Trump has pulled out of climate deals, global health organizations, peace treaties, all to the detriment of his own country. He may well do something drastic if his nearest neighbour were so forward is his condemnation.
Excellent answer, that carefully constructed answer required thought. Trudeau only needed 21seconds. I don’t think Trump could have managed an answer like that in 21 seconds
He a man who knows which side of his maple leaf needs to be kept buttered
Forget about anything he said eventually, the 21 seconds said it all.
I understand diplomacy and the importance of trade but just once I’d like to see a politician on the same level as him lay into him. Preferably face to horrible orange face.
@Keniby, Just before the apocalypse.: The 21 seconds doesn’t say anything except – “this is what my spin doctors came up with”
It’s completely staged. To go from that to a pre prepared answer? What you think he was struggling to remember his lines?
Now one can debate the tactics effectiveness – silence as an implied criticism – and that’s fine. But let’s not pretend it wasn’t pre planned.
@Shazam37: who said it wasn’t pre-planned? Your entire comment sounds like a rebuff to a comment that doesn’t exist.
Maybe he also needs to take a short drive across the US border and back again to see if his eyesight is OK!
Man who painted his face black pauses before answer I not sure which is worse the painting face black or using tear gas to quell violence.
@Martin Smith: using tear gas to quell peaceful protest just about takes the win.
The guy was just waiting for the autocue to load his prepared speech, I think people are reading to much into this!
@Ian: yes, like making up the ludicrous idea that he had a prepared speech. Not everyone is out to get you, Ian.
Pathetic hyp0crite and c0ward.
@Seriousnojoke: I usually call Trump a tangerine turd or orange abomination but everyone has their personal favourites I suppose?
I didn’t see any paws of any length. Fake news.
@MrMichaelSpicer – The room next door man should do a take on this!
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say