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(BuzzFeed) – A civil rights leader in Eastern Washington state has been passing herself off as black for years, her parents told local media.
When reached by BuzzFeed News late Thursday, Rachel Dolezal’s father, Larry Dolezal, said that he and her mother are both white.
“She’s our birth daughter and we’re both of European descent,” he said, adding, “we’re puzzled and it’s very sad.”
Rachel Dolezal has been the president of the Spokane, Washington, chapter of the NAACP since January. She also serves as chair of the city’s police oversight commission.