About Rachel...

Recently I watched the Rachel Dolezal special on Netflix, The Rachel Divide. I watched with an open mind. She has been blackballed in most respects. While I don't agree with her behaviors and certainly very little of her logic, I can't say I agree with this social pariah stigma under which she lives.

Sadly, the predicament in which she finds herself was totally avoidable. Black folks, who are some of the most accepting people on earth, would have accepted her as a White woman supporting our struggle. She would not have been rejected by the NAACP. She would have had no problem teaching Africana studies. She could have even adopted Black children. She just would not be having the problems she is having now. Her "friends" abandoned her. Real friends would have...

Of late, she is unable to secure employment and has reportedly been charged with welfare fraud. Some find that humorous and deserving. I do not. I wish her and her family well. She seemingly has raised two grounded and intelligent sons.

Unlike most others, I see Rachel's stance claiming to be Black, as White or middle America's worst nightmare. Despite all the trimmings, rights, benefits and privileges of whiteness, still she aspired to identify as Black. She is the reason Whites flee the neighborhood when Blacks move in or conversely make Black neighborhoods unaffordable forcing Blacks out when they move in. She abandoned her whiteness, that which was to be a coveted and protected status, being White. She threw it away for what is to be regarded an undesirable station in life. being Black. Rachel is not the role model White America wants for their children. Listen to our music, dance and dress like Black folks, even marry and have babies with us but never must they abandon their privilege of being White in America...

I have also always appreciated that in her pursuit to identify as a Black woman, she at least represented a positive image of a Black woman. She carried herself well, she was polished, educated, conscious in appearance, committed to social justice, etc. as opposed to other women who are not Black but who in their efforts to identify as Black, portray the most insulting of Black woman stereotypes and grossly exaggerate the personification of ghetto fabulous. As a proud Black woman, I get it. If I wasn't already a Black woman, hell!, I would want to be me too. So I get it...

I am not defending her but I am not crucifying her either. I don't have the answers for her but I think she has a right to survive. She is Mother with mouths to feed. She has a right to earn a living. I hope she finds her way. Check out the Netflix special. Her son aspired to go to Howard University Law. Howard could have shaped him. He left for Spain to find his voice during the taping. Still, she wants to be accepted as Black. That is never likely to happen despite changing her name to something Afrocentric. The Black community has spoke...

According to the documentary, her book, In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World, sold only 596 copies upon release. I guess I am one of the few to watch her Netflix special. I have now heard her side and Black Spokane's side of the story. Interesting and complex to say the least...