The Rachel Divide

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The Rachel Divide is a 2018 Netflix documentary directed by Laura Brownson. It tells the story of Rachel Dolezal (also known as Nkechi Diallo), a white American who identified as Black and once led the Spokane, Washington, chapter of the NAACP. In 2015, it emerged that she was born white, not Black, and she resigned from the NAACP after questions about her race and past hate-crime claims.

The film looks at how the controversy affected her career and life. Dolezal was also fired from teaching Africana studies at Eastern Washington University and stepped down from another Spokane city post after the allegations. The documentary explores her upbringing, her relationship with her adoptive and biological children, and tensions within her family. It also covers accusations from her siblings about abuse and her parents’ role in shaping her sense of race and identity.

Throughout the film, Dolezal claims that her parents neglected to teach their adopted children about their racial heritage, and she says she studied Black history and culture to understand and connect with that part of herself—something she later described as “transracial.” The documentary includes her perspective, as well as that of family members and other critics, and it shows how public backlash affected her daily life.

Reception was mixed. Some critics praised the film for a balanced, intimate look at a complex subject and for its focus on family dynamics. Others felt it didn’t go far enough in addressing questions about credibility and race. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds about 72% from 25 reviews. The Rachel Divide premiered at Tribeca and was released on Netflix in 2018.