Embattled civil rights activist Rachel Dolezal resigned from her position as head of the NAACP’s Spokane office on Monday, but that might not have been the worst part of her day.
Her mother added to the furor in a national television interview.
Ruthanne Dolezal was already responsible for setting up her daughter’s fall, by telling the world her daughter was white, not black, as Dolezal falsely claimed in public and on official documents. On Monday, the mother struck again, this time by saying her daughter wasn’t contrite enough as she resigned.
“I noticed in her letter of resignation, there was no actual addressing of the issue of being dishonest about her ethnicity, nor was there any apology,” Ruthanne said in an interview with MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts. “I pray that she will take the steps necessary to embrace her true personal identity, and not feel compelled any longer to be false or malicious towards her family.”
In a lengthy Facebook post on Monday, Rachel Dolezal explained her decision to resign from the NAACP, thanking her colleagues and friends for their support.
“In the eye of this current storm, I can see that a separation of family and organizational outcomes is in the best interest of the NAACP,” she wrote. “It is with complete allegiance to the cause of racial and social justice and the NAACP that I step aside from the Presidency and pass the baton.”
She added: “This is not me quitting; this is a continuum.”
The former NAACP chief did not, however, apologize for claiming falsely that she is a black woman.
Roberts asked the parents whether they believe “transracial” is even a thing.
“I don’t see any honest way that a person can describe themselves as transracial because your ethnicity comes from your genetic code and is handed down to you by your parents,” Ruthanne said. “I think the healthy path to take on this kind of discussion is to find a way to embrace and celebrate who you are.”
On Friday, the Dolezals sat down for an uncomfortable interview on CNN to answer questions about their estranged daughter.
“She has not explained to us why she is doing what she is doing and being dishonest and deceptive with her identity,” Ruthanne said in the interview, adding later that their daughter, “has never claimed to be biracial or African-American in our presence.”
Larry Dolezal added, “We do not understand why she feels it’s necessary to misrepresent her ethnicity.”
Prior to her resignation, the NAACP threw its support behind Dolezal, saying in a statement that, “One’s racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership.”
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This post has been updated to correct that the Dolezals appeared Monday on MSNBC, not CNN.
