The Spokane branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) said on Sunday it had postponed a meeting scheduled for Monday at which its president, Rachel Dolezal, was expected to speak about the furore that was sparked when her parents said she had falsely portrayed herself as black for years, though she is actually white.
The chapter said on Sunday in a statement on Facebook that the meeting would be rescheduled “due to the need to continue discussion with regional and national NAACP leaders”.
In an email to the Associated Press, the chapter confirmed the meeting was postponed but declined to be interviewed further.
According to KHQ-TV in Spokane, Dolezal had earlier sent a message to NAACP members saying she would address the situation at a group meeting on Monday night.
Asked in an interview with Sky News on Friday if she identified as African American, Dolezal said she did not like the term.
“I prefer black,” she said. “If I was asked I would say, yes, I would definitely consider myself to be black.”
As the controversy around Dolezal intensified, her adopted brother accused her of giving African Americans a “slap in the face” by co-opting their racial struggles after growing up with all the advantages of a white, middle-class girl.
“She puts dark make-up on her face and says she black,” Ezra Dolezal told Buzzfeed News. “It’s basically blackface.”
The city of Spokane is investigating whether Dolezal lied about her ethnicity when she applied to be on the police board.
