Aahana Swrup
Rachel Dolezal made headlines in the mid-2010s when she served as the chapter president for the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) before stepping down in the midst of a controversy about her race. Even though she was born blonde and blue-eyed to white parents, Dolezal insisted upon her self-identification as a Black woman. Naturally, once the truth about her heritage came out, it resulted in significant backlash — notably from the Black community. Due to falsely shared information about her background, she was labeled a “race faker” and lost much of her credibility in the field of social activism.
Nevertheless, even after Dolezal was pushed to the sidelines, inviting public ridicule and alleged race-driven hate crimes, she remained steadfast in her self-proclaimed racial identity. In the Netflix documentary, ‘The Rachel Divide,’ she becomes the narrative’s central subject, as hers and several other expert’s accounts present a diverse opinion on the controversy. However, since appearing in the 2018 documentary, a lot has changed for the woman.
Rachel Dolezal Goes By Nkechi Diallo Today
At the end of the documentary, ‘The Rachel Divide,’ Rachel Dolezal legally changed her name to Nkechi Diallo. Today, she continues to go by the same name in an attempt to shed her past controversy and turn a new stone. In 2017, she evoked the same sentiment during her appearance on The Today Show, where she said, “I really felt like I needed to change my legal name in order to be seen for my qualifications and experience rather than just seen for the tabloid publicity that I got in 2015. When applying for a job, people were just seeing ‘Rachel Dolezal’ and not paying attention to the wide-ranging experience and qualifications that I do have.”
On the other hand, the name’s evident roots in African culture further underline her perpetual assertion of her racial identity. Yet, Dolezal— now Diallo— hasn’t shed all connections to her past name. In fact, her social media accounts across almost all platforms—except LinkedIn—retain her original name, making it easier for the public to find her online. She also continues to advocate for fluidity, even in racial identity, particularly through the promotion of her 2017 memoir, ‘In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World,’ which she co-wrote with Storms Reback. Recently, in March 2023, she attended the Tucson Festival of Books to hold a signing event for the book.
Even though she no longer has the same influence or audience as she did before the controversy. Diallo continues to contribute to social activism whenever possible. Throughout the past few years, she has advocated for voting, opposed the 2022 book ban, supported LGBTQ+ rights as a bisexual woman, and celebrated diversity legislation, such as the CROWN Act, which fights hair discrimination within the country. Currently a resident of Tuscon, Arizona, Diallo works as a freelancer as well as an independent business owner. She seems to hold gardening — fruits and flowers to cacti — as one of her many cherished hobbies. In fact, she completed the University of Arizona’s Master Gardener program.
Rachel Dolezal is an Artist with Numerous Mediums
As a public speaker, Nkechi Diallo’s primary platform remains her various artistic endeavors. She hosts a fairly popular podcast, ‘Peripheries,’ where she discusses the concepts of identities and belonging. She describes the show as holding a target audience of “everyone living on the peripheries of society in some way.” Some of the most notable guests on her podcast so far have been Fe Bencosme, author of ‘You Are Not Your Race,’ Dr. Clyde N. S. Ramalaine, and Dr. Ronnie Gladden.
Simultaneously, Diallo also continues selling her paintings, occasionally holding exhibitions for the same. Her social media, particularly her Instagram, remains ripe with various pieces showcasing her skill and talent as she promotes her business. Likewise, she also partakes in other forms of artistic expression, such as sculpting, pottery, and cut paper. Furthermore, over the years, Diallo has been invited to converse with other creators and public speakers, sitting down for interviews with Fascination Street Pod and Lady Anne Welsh. Most recently, Diallo appeared on the Eric Andre Show in July, hosted by the famous namesake comedian and actor.
Rachel Dolezal’s Recent Controversy With a School District
Nkechi Diallo worked at an educational institution in 2023 as an after-school instructor and a substitute teacher under the School District’s contract. She primarily worked with children in grades K-5. Meanwhile, outside of the same, she continued her various artistic ventures, including a presence on the 18+ platform OnlyFans, where she has been posting content since 2021. Despite a previous reverberation in 2022 through the media for leaked content regarding the same platform, Diallo’s presence on the app wasn’t known information to the School District.
Consequently, once the Catalina Foothills Unified School District learned about the same in February 2024, they fired Diallo from her position due to a break of policy. As per a spokesperson for the School District, Julie Farbarik, the policy remains that employees should not unprofessionally communicate online in any way that may impact their work reputation. “Her (Nkechi Diallo’s) posts are contrary to our district’s Use of Social Media by District Employees policy,” stated Farbarik.
Rachel Dolezal has a Fulfilling Family Life
Despite the hardships presented to Nkechi Diallo and her family due to various controversies that she has been a significant part of, the family continues to move forward toward a promising future. While Diallo’s personal and professional endeavors remain fruitful, her children also continue to progress in their lives. Her oldest son, Izaiah Dolezal, got married to the love of his life in February 2024. As for her middle child, Franklin Moore recently graduated from The University of Arizona with a degree in Physiology from the College of Medicine. Likewise, her youngest, Langston — who lives with her — continues his elementary education.
For her part, the proud mother celebrates all the accomplishments and achievements of her kids with excitement, sharing moments from her life and theirs on her social media accounts. Similarly, Diallo also shares tidbits of time she spends with her close friends. She also has a cat named Theodore, whom she dotes upon. Although not much is known about her distraught relationship with her biological parents, she remains in touch with her sister, Esther, who now goes by Kenya. Ultimately, Rachel Dolezal — turned Nkechi Diallo — refuses to let others dictate her identity and continues presenting herself as a Black woman.
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