Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

‘I have used blackness when it was not mine’: ANOTHER white BLM activist admits to FAKING being black

‘I have used blackness when it was not mine’: ANOTHER white BLM activist admits to FAKING being black

An Indianapolis activist for Black Lives Matter, Satchuel Paigelyn Cole, has admitted to pretending to be black for years, coming forward after a local news report revealed the truth.

“I have taken up space as a black person while knowing I am white,” Cole admitted this week in a Facebook post. “I have used blackness when it was not mine to use. I have asked for support and energy as a black person.”

Cole, formerly known as Jennifer Benton and born to two white Indianapolis parents in 1975 – and who was born female but uses ‘they/them’ pronouns – changed her name in 2010 and began identifying as black. Cole became active in black and LGBT groups and was frequently interviewed by local media as a leader in the black community.


A 2017 article by LGBT rights group Freedom Indiana featured an interview with Cole, alongside a picture with a black man identified as Cole’s father. The activist was honored this year as a grand marshal of the Indianapolis Gay Pride Parade.

But Cole's true background was exposed this week in an article by black online news outlet Black Indy Live. The article alleged that Cole also misappropriated thousands of dollars of activism funding received since 2018.

Cole is the latest in a bizarrely long line of imposters who have misrepresented their ethnicity – at least in some cases for career advancement – from US Senator Elizabeth Warren to activist Rachel Dolezal, who was exposed as being white in 2015.

More recently, George Washington University history professor Jessica Krug admitted that she had been pretending to be black for almost her entire adult life. Krug, who is white and grew up Jewish, also worked as an “Afro-Latina” activist in New York City under the alias Jess La Bombera.

Another white academic who pretended to be black, University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate student CV Vitolo-Haddad, was outed earlier this month in an anonymous post on Medium.com, the same place Krug chose to reveal her true background. Vitolo-Haddad, who also goes by ‘they’/’them’ pronouns and was identified as an Antifa activist in the blog post identifying “them,” took to Medium.com on Sept. 8 and admitted to Italian lineage.


“I am deeply sorry and regretful to the people I deceived by inserting myself into black organizing spaces I didn't belong in,” Vitolo-Haddad said. “That deception was parasitic and harmful.” The academic resigned from her teaching job at the university and from her position as president of the Teaching Assistants' Association.

Like Krug and Vitolo-Haddad, Cole was apologetic, vowing to take whatever steps possible to repair the damage done: “I am sorry for the hurt and the betrayal… I will do what I can to show that I want to be a better person.”


The recent spate of white people pretending to be black has left observers wondering what's behind the phenomenon. One Twitter user said, “This must be some kind of illness.” Another asked, “They're apologizing for helping themselves to some black privilege, correct?”


“Critical race theory and intersectionality proponents need to explain why white women near the top of the dominance hierarchy they've described keep choosing to shuffle their way down to the bottom,” another Twitter user said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
Spain Proposes 100% Tax on Non-EU Holiday Home Purchases
German Intelligence Labels AfD as Far-Right Extremist
Geert Wilders Threatens Dutch Coalition Over Migration Policy
Hungary Faces Multiple Challenges Amid EU Tensions and Political Shifts
Denmark Increases Retirement Age to 70, Setting a European Precedent
Any trade deal with US must be based on respect not threats', says EU commissioner
UK Leads in Remote Work Adoption, Averaging 1.8 Days a Week
Thirteen Killed in Russian Attacks Across Ukraine
High-Profile Incidents and Political Developments Dominate Global News
Netanyahu Accuses Western Leaders of 'Emboldening Hamas'
Ukraine and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Exchange of the War
×