Birth Name: Rachel Anne Dolezal
Place of Birth: Lincoln County, Montana
Date of Birth: November 12, 1977
Ethnicity: Czech, German, Swedish, English, Dutch
Rachel Dolezal is an American civil rights activist, Africana studies instructor, and NAACP member. She was President of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People from 2014 until her resignation on June 15, 2015.
Rachel has presented herself publicly as a black woman for many years. In June 2015, Rachel’s parents stated that she actually has no African/African-American ancestry.
Rachel is the daughter of Ruthanne (Schertel) and Lawrence Albert Dolezal. She has Czech, German, Swedish, English, and Dutch, ancestry. All of her grandparents and great-grandparents were listed as “White” on United States Censuses. Rachel has a biological brother, as well as four adopted siblings (all four are black). Rachel’s ex-husband was also black.
Rachel’s paternal grandparents are Herman A. Dolezal (the son of Adolph A. Dolezal and Sophia F. Kohout) and Peggy Boomer (the daughter of Roy Allen Boomer and Eyra A. Rhoades). Adolph was born in Nebraska, to a Czech father and a German mother. Sophia was also born in Nebraska, to Czech parents.
Rachel’s maternal grandparents are Rupert A. Schertel (the son of Max Anton Schertel and Anna Johanson) and Dorcas Mussell (the daughter of Jules LaVerne Mussell and Addie Catherine Bunt). Max was German. Anna was Swedish. Jules’s father was Canadian.
Rachel once stated that she is of “African-American, Native American, German, Czech, Swedish, Jewish and Arabic” ancestry. Her parents also stated that she has some Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this Native American, Jewish, and/or Arabic ancestry has been verified/documented. A thorough genealogical search indicates that Rachel does not have any Native American, Jewish, or Arab heritage, at least not within the reasonably recent past.
Sources: An article about some of Rachel’s ancestry – http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Genealogy of Rachel Dolezal (focusing on her father’s side) – http://4.bp.blogspot.com
Rachel’s paternal grandfather, Herman A. Dolezal, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Rachel’s paternal great-grandparents, Roy Allen Boomer and Eyra A. Rhoades, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Rachel’s maternal grandfather, Rupert A. Schertel, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Rachel’s maternal great-grandparents, Jules LaVerne Mussell and Addie Catherine Bunt, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org