Now she claims she was victimized by her ex…anyone see a trend emerging here?
Let me first just say I am totally playing imagination games here, and don’t want people to think I’m any more serious than that.
But in response to your remark, I’d have to say–a more likely scenario is that the dad doesn’t know she’s not his kid biologically speaking.
I didnt think about that. Good point.
Given her history, the more likely scenario is that she pulled it out of her ass.
Everyone seems to default to the “she’s mentally ill” theory.
You know, maybe she’s just a liar. I have known people like this - not guilty of this particularly weird approach, perhaps, but guilty of pretending and lying and deceiving to get things they want. The world has people like that, and they’re not crazy, they’re liars and cheats. Heck, I’m related to a few (thankfully, not that closely.)
I’m not saying I know she ISN’T crazy, because maybe she is. But let us not dismiss the possibility that she’s an old fashioned con artist.
Everyone seems to default to the “she’s mentally ill” theory.
You know, maybe she’s just a liar. I have known people like this - not guilty of this particularly weird approach, perhaps, but guilty of pretending and lying and deceiving to get things they want. The world has people like that, and they’re not crazy, they’re liars and cheats. Heck, I’m related to a few (thankfully, not that closely.)
I’m not saying I know she ISN’T crazy, because maybe she is. But let us not dismiss the possibility that she’s an old fashioned con artist. She’s also now caught plagiarizing art (do you call it plagiarizing if it’s a painting?) which is not obviously connected to the same personal history so much as it just sounds like something a liar would do.
She isnt the first to claim false ancestry and engage in plagiarism.
+1 (sorry, couldn’t resist)
In fact, IMO, if there wasn’t a false accusation issue, this case would be a thing to celebrate, as it undermines the concept of race.
It’s a possibility. I personally think it’s more likely than not that she’s several tacos short of a combo meal. But let’s say she indeed is a con artist. What’s the motivation? What does she gain? What does she get as a black woman that she cannot as a white woman? I’d be more open to the con artist or pathological liar option if I could put my finger on a motive.
Attention. A couple of jobs above her qualifications. Respect. Affirmation.
From the Wikipedia article on Rachel Dolezal:
The latest scoop on this is that her family are fundamentalist homeschoolers, of the “Train up a Child” variety and that her adopted brother (who she claimed was her son) was in her custody because he petitioned for emancipation from the parents at age 16. Sounds like the craziness may be a result of a lousy childhood.
Let’s take them one by one.
Attention. Would she not have slipped happily under the radar as a black woman had not the tempest been started by others questioning her blackness?
Jobs above her qualification. I’ll grant it’s likely easier to get a job as a professor of black studies when one is black herself. But would a sane person change her racial identity just for that reason?
Respect. I might believe that if a black woman typically received more respect than a white woman. I’m not seeing evidence of that.
Affirmation. Perhaps, but is this sufficient motivation?
I think the most likely motivation is total rejection of her parents.
Those who have faked identities in the past, such as Native Americans claiming to be white, did so to avoid discrimination. But times have changed, and “cultural diversity” has now become status quo. Maybe she found she had more power and influence with blacks instead of whites. Maybe she determined she had more leverage as a victim instead of just being another face in the crowd. Maybe she thought pretending to be somebody else got her farther in life than remaining some boring farm girl from Whiteville USA.
I don’t think she had malicious intent, but just got carried away riding the momentum of her new identity. She’ll tell the truth when the book deal offers start pouring in.
IMO you are analyzing this from the perspective of a normal clear-thinking person. Unfortunately she has her own perspective on reality. In her view she is a victim (her white parents and black husband) and entitled to all the rights and privileges she perceives other victims as getting from society.
Sure, but remember she brought the tempest on herself by reporting being threatened by her own hate letters? I admit this being the first case I heard of someone claiming to be of another (discriminated) race, but I’ve encountered such a pretender in another environment. She knew the “moves” for lack of a better word, but she shared just a tad too much personal and intimate information among strangers right away. For every story that was told in a self help/support group, she had one that was even more lurid and gruesome and that’s when she was put on the spot. Online, you find them everywhere and they usually “die” (often by suicide), just to have a relative/friend signing up to sing the praise of the oh so brave and strong person they were. You, as a sane person, cannot understand how much this scum thrives off the attention and that also ties to respect they gain for their courageous struggle. I wonder if it’s related to the Münchhausen syndrom or those who pretend to be disabled (wannabees?) and therefore discriminated against or having to endure many ordeals. Marla Singer of Fight Club might be fictious, but those tourists of misery exist. And they make me sick. Being whipped with a bull whip similar to one being used on slaves? Please.
Yes, she wouldn’t have received national attention, but it’s not like she self identified as black, then went on to live the life of the average black American woman.
I used to work with someone who lied habitually. Her lies didn’t result in direct material gains, but they did create an illusion of “coolness” that attracted positive attention. And positive attention often leads to material gains.
Maybe Rachel thought she seemed like a boring and uninteresting person as a white woman. Boring and uninteresting people don’t go far in life, and maybe Rachel has always wanted to go far in life. Far from her parents’ religiosity and far from the stereotypes associated with that high school photo of hers.
Maybe at first it started off as a way to be “different”. It wasn’t a con so much as her just trying to carve out her own identity. But then she saw that there could be real benefits to keeping up and then enhancing the ruse. Being a light-skinned middle-class black woman wasn’t enough, because we know those bitches are a dime a dozen. No, to really establish her bonafides, she needed a story of internalized oppression (the baboon whip thing). When the novelty of that wore off, then she had to bring the oppression to the present-day with the hate crime accusations. I have no doubt in my mind that if the ruse had been allowed to continue, she would have found a way to have a police officer tase her on video.
I’m reminded of that 9-11 survivors support group president who turned out to be a big liar. Why did she lie? Well, she got to enjoy power and small-scale fame. People treated her like she was important, like she was a hero. Con artists don’t always have $$ in their sights. They also feed on the intangibles.
Where I think she’s crazy is that fact that she seems to actually believe the fantasy she’s concocted. I don’t think a professional con artist would be doubling-down on the lies at this point. I think Rachel is an amatuer–but she isn’t totally stupid. She’s now trying to milk this fiasco for what it’s worth. We wouldn’t be still talking about this thing if she had confessed to her crimes. The more we talk about her, the more profitable it will be for her (exclusive interviews don’t come cheap).
Is she getting paid for these interviews?