# Is Shaun King (Daily Kos writer & Black Lives Matter activist) really white? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 19, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271 "2015-08-19T16:39:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/1 "2015-08-19T16:39:36Z")
> **[Did Black Lives Matter's Shaun King Mislead Oprah Winfrey About His Race?](https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2015/08/19/did-black-lives-matter-organiser-shaun-king-mislead-oprah-winfrey-by-pretending-to-be-biracial/)** > > Shaun King may have misled media icon Oprah Winfrey, pretending to be black to qualify for an "Oprah scholarship." Is this another case like Rachel Dolezal? He has claimed to be bi-racial (white mother and black father), but from the link (albeit Breitbart) there are accusations that his father is actually white. If his claims are determined to be false and he is actually Caucasian, does this further support Rachel Dolezal’s claim that ethnicity and race can be a choice? ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/2 "2015-08-19T17:01:38Z")
Looks like the only people “reporting” on this are outlets like Breitbart, the NY Daily News, the Blaze, and the Caller, I’m going to instinctively go with “it’s complete horseshit.” I fully accept that even a blind, hate-spewing squirrel sometimes finds a nut, and I could be wrong. If so, I don’t think it strengthens or supports Dolezal’s choices. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/3 "2015-08-19T17:02:58Z")
The correct answer is “Why does it matter?” ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/4 "2015-08-19T17:14:30Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The correct answer is “Why does it matter?” Let’s assume that Shaun King is actually Caucasian. If he is, and he represented himself as such, then I would agree that it shouldn’t matter and don’t believe it would. But if he’s Caucasian, then why would he represent himself as bi-racial? Why did Rachel Dolezal? It undermines their credibility. That’s why it matters. ---
**Author:** ![Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/5 "2015-08-19T17:16:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The correct answer is “Why does it matter?” Because he accepted a scholarship meant for a minority, amongst other reasons. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/6 "2015-08-19T17:17:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The correct answer is “Why does it matter?” Black Lives Matter. He looks mixed race to me. Unlike RD, who looks like a white person pretending to be black. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/7 "2015-08-19T17:26:38Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > He looks mixed race to me. I should have said: He Looks _like he could be_ mixed race to me. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/8 "2015-08-19T17:33:42Z")
It looks like a possibility but, in my opinion, the evidence isn’t conclusive yet. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/9 "2015-08-19T17:37:50Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The correct answer is “Why does it matter?” If he’s not black, the fact that he accepted a scholarship that was supposed to be for black students is wrong. There presumably were black students who didn’t get that scholarship (I’m assuming Rae Dawn Chong) because King did. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/10 "2015-08-19T17:51:30Z")
If it’s being reported by Frightfart, it has a good 99% chance of being utter bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/11 "2015-08-19T20:29:57Z")
Half a day in, and none of the MSM outlets has picked up this story yet. At least as far as I can tell… ---
**Author:** ![Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/12 "2015-08-19T21:03:17Z")
King has fired off a series of tweets - none refuting the original claim that he’s not black. Looks like we’ve got another liberal pretending to be black. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/13 "2015-08-19T21:10:50Z")
He said he did not lie to get any scholarship. So he’s bi-racial with a painful story about his race. He doesn’t want to go down that road as it affects his family. Doesn’t anybody get that? To have to be dragged through the mud about his ethnicity is just a tactic by the right to get him to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/14 "2015-08-19T21:14:40Z")
> [@Gent](#): > > King has fired off a series of tweets - none refuting the original claim that he’s not black. > > Looks like we’ve got another liberal pretending to be black. “Another”? So wanting more and better for African Americans is a “liberal” thing? Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/15 "2015-08-19T21:29:52Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > “Another”? So wanting more and better for African Americans is a “liberal” thing? > > Interesting… Uh, no. But being white and trying to pass oneself off as black evidently is. ---
**Author:** ![Gent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gent)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/16 "2015-08-19T22:07:57Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > “Another”? So wanting more and better for African Americans is a “liberal” thing? > > Interesting… Lying to black Americans. Pandering to the entirety of the African-American community. Overwhelmed with feelings of white guilt, based on feelings of elitism. Race-baiting in order to gain favor. That’s a liberal! ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/17 "2015-08-19T22:12:02Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > If his claims are determined to be false and he is actually Caucasian, does this further support Rachel Dolezal’s claim that ethnicity and race can be a choice? No, just because a few people lied doesn’t give them the power to change the definition of ethnicity and race. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/18 "2015-08-19T22:13:46Z")
If this turns out to be true, I can just see the Chris Rock routine. \* So, I was chatting with some buddies the other day. My black friends, and we were talking about these white people trying to be black. Now, I knew white folks were kinda crazy, but none of us knew they were THIS crazy. Brothers been trying to pass as white for centuries, and now these crackers want to pass their white asses off as black!?!? How about we trade places, and you be a REAL black person and see how much you like it then!\* ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a8b319/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_wuzzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_wuzzy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/19 "2015-08-19T22:22:30Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > He said he did not lie to get any scholarship. So he’s bi-racial with a painful story about his race. He doesn’t want to go down that road as it affects his family. Doesn’t anybody get that? To have to be dragged through the mud about his ethnicity is just a tactic by the right to get him to stop. Yes, we get that. We also get the fact that some people who claim to be biracial are not biracial. One side of this “controversy” may end up looking rather silly. However, closing down the debate because someone’s feelings are a bit precious is not the answer. At least its not an adequate answer. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271/20 "2015-08-19T22:31:07Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > He said he did not lie to get any scholarship. So he’s bi-racial with a painful story about his race. He doesn’t want to go down that road as it affects his family. Doesn’t anybody get that? No, I don’t get that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-shaun-king-daily-kos-writer-black-lives-matter-activist-really-white/728271.md?page=2)