Why Ms. Meltingpot Will Definitely be Watching “The Rachel Divide”

Hello Meltingpot Readers,

We all remember Rachel Dolezal, right? You know, the chapter president of the NAACP in Spokane, Washington who was outed as a white woman in blackface by her parents in 2015. And since that time, despite the desperate pleas of many a Black person to stop playing racial Halloween, not to mention the almost complete destruction of her previous life, she has refused to admit that she is in fact, white. Instead, Dolezal has given countless interviews, written a book and showed up at many public events to explain how she was born into a white body but identifies with Black culture.

Dear readers, I am not a fan of Rachel Dolezal, but I’m also not a hater. To be honest, as someone who has dedicated her professional writing career to expanding the narrow definitions of Blackness in the United States, as well as creating a more inclusive conversation around race and color, Rachel Dolezal and the issues she is forcing people to articulate fascinate me. So, here are five reasons why I will be popping my popcorn and watching The Rachel Divide on Netflix ASAP.

1. MOMMY DEAREST I want to hear from her Black sons. Clearly having Rachel Dolezal as your mom has to be challenging in many ways, but I want to hear the boys’ own perspectives. Even before the movie was released, there were leaks about how one son warns his mom that this documentary is going to backfire on her, just like everything else she has tried to do to plead her case. Here’s a clip from that discussion.

2. IT’S ABOUT THE HAIR I seriously want to see and hear how she explains her make-up and hair routine? She wears dark make-up and lace-front weaves. If she “feels Black” why does she have to dress up to play the part?

3.BLACK ACTIVIST As someone who has really only paid attention to Dolezal’s racial passing, I know very little about what, if anything, Dolezal has done as an activist and change maker in the Black community. I want to see what her “Black life” was like before she was outed. I also want to hear how the NAACP members in Spokane feel about her now that they know she’s white. Is it betrayal they feel or do they simply not care?

4. THE ORIGIN STORY I want to know more about the white people who raised Rachel. Who were these people and what do they think of their daughter now?

5. AN UNBIASED VIEW The filmmaker behind The Rachel Divide, Laura Brownson was not paid by Dolezal. She is an indie filmmaker and she had no agenda, other than to tell this incredibly complicated story. About the film, Brownson told Women and Hollywood, “I’m not looking to change minds or push an agenda with this film. You can leave the theater hating Rachel, loving Rachel, or feeling indifferent towards her. I’d like people to draw their own conclusions.”

So, that’s why I’ll be watching. What about you, dear readers? Will you be tuning in? Check out this trailer if you can’t decide and then tell me if you’re going to watch in the comments. I’m totally listening.

Peace!