Why Ask Rachel

Before the tragic events in Charleston, South Carolina and, most recently, the Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriage, the story of Rachel Dolezal enthralled the nation. There hasn’t been a story like it in recent memory. A white woman had chosen to identify as black, and she was leading the Spokane, WA division of the NAACP. Equally bizarre allegations about her family were gradually being revealed. In the midst of all this, the country fumbled to figure out what this episode meant for race relations in our country. Even though her story is no longer in the forefront of the American consciousness, the racial implications of her story are still relevant and must not be forgotten as we continue to fight for more equal rights along with everyone else.

As an African-American, and the mother of three beautiful children, I felt as if my life was being caricatured. The struggles I had experienced genuinely because of the color of my skin were being treated as some sort of show or performance art. The emotions and experiences I had felt so deeply throughout my life were now cheapened because someone could manufacture them and use them to their advantage. It felt like a threat to the modern Civil Rights call of Black Lives Matter. How do they if someone can take on the black experience any time they please?

That is why the Rachel Dolezal story is still so important. Some say that Dolezal’s actions reflect the worst of the specter of White Privilege. If one is white, they can choose how they will live. They can choose whether they will be lauded and accepted or oppressed. They can choose what their families will look like, and they can choose how people respond to them. They can make themselves into anyone they want to be, and even occupy positions that were meant to give spaces of power to black people.

If you are truly born black, you have none of those options. You must accept your skin tone, and all the stereotypes, discrimination, and complications that come with it. You must deal with being shut out of certain rooms and circles, and there will be many times when it seems that nothing can be done to reverse the inequality. It is a wonder why anyone would want to take on such an experience. Which is why so many people were shocked and captivated by Dolezal’s story.

In a time when so many people are clamoring for equal rights, it is easy for people to forget or shrug off the struggle that Black Americans are still fighting. In the modern day, we have had to fight to prove to people that racism and prejudice still exist and cause us difficulty and pain. There is no time for our experience to be hijacked as we continue this battle. Black lives don’t matter if crooked police officers can go free for shooting us. They don’t matter if someone is allowed to imitate us without repercussion. When my children grow up, I want them to be valued, and to have all the opportunities that are available to them. Hopefully, they won’t have to face discrimination through imitation and appropriation. Hopefully, they won’t encounter any Rachel Dolezal’s that cheapen the power of their personal experiences.

It is important to recognize, embrace and value our rich history; not by an imposter, but by a true Black American who understands the depth of our pain and the joys of our suffering.  The personal experience is one that can not be duplicated. It speaks truth, it speaks struggle, it speaks purpose,  it speaks even in silence.

That my friend is GREATNESS uncensored –