Rachel Dolezal is a strange figure in the American zeitgeist. One that can unite left and right, black and white, politically correct and politically vulgar, to come together and say: “What the hell is wrong with that woman?”
In an interview with Samantha Guthrie on the Today Show, Dolezal was unapologetic of her decision to identify as a black woman and lie her way into a career with the NAACP (watch here).
Here are some of the highlights from the interview.
1. When Guthrie asked her if she had any regrets.
I don’t have any regrets on how I identify. I’m still me and nothing about that has changed.
So after pissing off the group of people you spent your life defending, you’re still pretending to be a black person.
2. When asked about if she could have been more upfront about her race.
I wish I could have really owned the me of me earlier in life. It took me 30 years to get there. But certainly I feel it’s a complex issue. How do you just sum up a whole life of coming into who you are in a sound bite?
It doesn’t take a sound bite to be honest with your employer about race.
3. On what she plans to write in her book.
This larger issue of if you don’t fit into this one box and if you don’t stay there your whole life being identified from birth as who your are. What does that look like?
Oh great, she’s cashing in on a book deal. I guess lying your whole life and creating a media frenzy is not without its profits.
4. On racism.
Race is such a contentious issue because of the painful history of racism. Race didn’t create racism but racism created race. Is there one human race? Why do we want to go back to that world view of separate races?
If you don’t want separate races than why did you choose to identify as a separate race?
5. On the future.
I’m really excited to write the book and address some of issues I have researched for many years and eventually get back to teaching. I have some speaking engagements coming up and recently did a TED talk that will be online soon.
There you have it. Instead of being hindered from a lifetime of deceit, Dolezal has plenty of opportunities to use the controversy to her advantage.