The Rachel Divide - netflix

[theaveragewife]

The Rachel Dolezal documentary is out on Netflix today, thought it may provide some interesting insights - I’ll be watching shortly!

For me the whole thing hinges on her saying tearfully and determinedly that she doesn't want to be that 18 year old in the Amish dress. That's what this is all about. Society doesn't understand (or support) trauma so how can individuals. She went through protracted trauma and she got out AND got her siblings out then tried her best to look after them and did a relatively ok job. That's actually quite incredible.

But her delusion is causing massive harm to the children - and her - and has done to the black community. Understandably they're angry.

The trans link is so huge from the dysmorphia side. I'm interested to see how the trans community - self-IDing trans women in particular - respond to this. My bet is she'll be vehemently vilified by them.

I've just watched this and agree with most posters so far about the parallels.

I watched the women saying that Rachel was appropriating their oppression and that she was given a platform, due to her white privilege, that would never have been available to them.

It made me think of a certain SF, educated at a private boys' school, then Oxford and then into law - and who is now able to represent women from a platform which is not offered to many women.

But one is mocked and the other is celebrated? Male privilege

It was an interesting documentary. She was not paid for it allegedly.
They began filming over the course of two years pretty much straight away. She wanted to get her side over as she still wanted to be actively involved in activism/teaching. The book was the same reason/because she was on food stamps.
From interviews, the female director seemed to be somewhat frustrated with her. She was hoping for a journey arc and for Rachel to turn around at some point and renege on what she said. Instead she doubled down. I mention this because the director could not get her to retract and goes on to film her teenage son towards the end of the two years' filming urging him to get things off his chest as he was becoming fed up of her filming him. There has therefore been the usual editing/dramatic arc that all directors do, even documentary makers.

It was clear that by hiring a private detective to muckrake that her parents' motives were intent on undermining her as a credible witness. My utmost sympathy goes towards her sister.