Rachel Dolezal’s deception has generated a ton of thoughtful writing. Here are some of the best essays that touch on identity and what it means to be black.
"Black Like Her" — The New Yorker
Rachel Dolezal lied about her race — but in doing so, she was really lying about a lie we all tell. Jelani Cobb wrote about the concept of race, its arbitrary and damaging determinations, and how there are worse deceptions than Dolezal's fictional blackness. Read it at The New Yorker.
Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review via AP / Via newyorker.com
"There Is No Comparison Between Transgender People and Rachel Dolezal" — The Guardian
There is a fundamental difference between transgender people and Rachel Dolezal. "Her decision to identify as black was an active choice, whereas transgender people’s decision to transition is almost always involuntary," Meredith Talusan explains. Read her essay at The Guardian.
Dan Pelle / AP
"Why Rachel Dolezal Needed to Construct Her Own Black Narrative" — BuzzFeed Ideas
In an era of racial transition, who is black, and what is blackness? In a nutshell, "a crucial part of blackness is inheritance of the sacrifices and struggles that were borne so you could be," Adam Serwer writes in an essay for BuzzFeed Ideas. In it, he explains why Rachel Dolezal needed to construct her own black narrative and how she took advantage of the black community’s long tradition of inclusion regardless of skin tone. Read it at BuzzFeed Ideas.
Nicholas K. Geranios / Associated Press
"I Am Black. Rachel Dolezal Is Not" — Dame Magazine
To Rebecca Carroll, Rachel Dolezal's choice to identify as black is "white privilege on steroids" and "colonization on the most personal level." In a piece for Dame Magazine, Carroll condemned Dolezal's actions, also touching on the white savior complex. Read it at Dame Magazine.
Taylor Viydo / Via Twitter: @KREMTaylor
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