'I Identify as Black': Rachel Dolezal Appears on 'Today' Show

Kali Holloway
and
 AlterNet
June 16, 2015 Media

Rachel Dolezal, the head of the Spokane, Washington, NAACP who launched a million think pieces on race—from cultural appropriation to the dynamics of colorism—after she was "outed" as a white woman last week, appeared on the Today show this morning. It was the first major network interview with Dolezal, coming one day after she stepped down from her position at the NAACP and following several days of endless speculation about her story.

Though the entire interview is worth watching for so many reasons—some problematic, others merely fascinating—a few quick non-spoilers:

Dolezal states that she still “identif[ies] as black,” questions why her family is in such a rush to “whitewash” the work she’s done in the civil rights field, and when asked if her life the last 10 years was tantamount to so much blackface, said, “This is not some freak Birth of a Nation mockery blackface performance. I've actually had to go there with the experience. Not just the visual representation, but the experience."

I mean, seriously. Just incredible.

Check out the full video below. 

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