NAACP leader who lied about being black steps down

The NAACP chapter president who sparked a media firestorm after it was revealed that she had “disguised” herself as a black woman for years, despite being white has announced her intention to step down.

“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 to my Vice President, Naima Quarles-Burnley,” Spokane NAACP President Rachel Dolezal wrote in a lengthy statement on Facebook.

Dolezal did not directly address the controversy surrounding her racial misrepresentation but says that, despite her commitment to the cause of civil rights, “the dialogue has unexpectedly shifted internationally to my personal identity in the context of defining race and ethnicity.”

“Please know I will never stop fighting for human rights and will do everything in my power to help and assist, whether it means stepping up or stepping down, because this is not about me,” Dolezal says. “It’s about justice.”

The 37-year-old’s racial ruse was uncovered last week, when a local reporter confronted her after she claimed on Facebook that her father was African-American. In fact, Dolezal’s father is a white man of European descent. 

The NAACP released a statement following the revelation, saying they stood by Dolezal.

“One’s racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership,” the organization said in its statement.