Head of Spokane NAACP Quits Amid Furor Over Racial Identity

The president of the NAACP's Spokane, Washington, chapter resigned as furor mounted over her racial identity that emerged after her parents said she falsely portrayed herself as black for years even though she is actually white.
The announcement that Rachel Dolezal was stepping down was posted Monday on the civil rights group's Facebook page. The posting said the attention surrounding Dolezal has distracted from the group's goals.
"The dialogue has unexpectedly shifted internationally to my personal identity in the context of defining race and ethnicity," according to the statement, attributed to Dolezal. "I am consistently committed to empowering marginalized voices and believe that many individuals have been heard in the last hours and days that would not otherwise have had a platform to weigh in on this important discussion."