Bowing To Pressure, Book Festival Dis-Invites Dolezal

The Baltimore Book Festival has canceled a planned appearance by disgraced former NAACP chapter president Rachel Dolezal.

"In the past, we have hosted writers with different views and perspectives, always with the goal of presenting authors that engage the audience with topical and enlightening discourse," festival organizers said on Facebook. "A top priority of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts is to listen to our constituents, and after hearing from a cross-section of opinions on having Rachel Dolezal participate in this year’s festival, we had to consider how her appearance may affect both the audience and the other extraordinary authors we have planned for the Baltimore Book Festival."

Dolezal, who last October changed her legal name to Nkechi Amare Diallo, was elected president of the Spokane, Wash. chapter of the NAACP in 2014, but resigned the following year after it came to light she had lied about her biography and ethnicity.

Dolezal would have been in Baltimore to promote her new book, "In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black and White World." The booking was pilloried by some in the community. The City Paper reported the Baltomore Office of Promotion & the Arts--which manages the festival--initially defended their choice in guests.

Rapper Eze Jackson said in a Facebook comment that BOPA's decision proved to him a "disconnection" between organizers and the black community.

"I understand the interest in having varied Authors," he continued, "but do you know what you're saying to Black People right now? Is this a joke?"

A source told City Paper that organizers didn't understand that scheduling Dolezal would attract a backlash.

The book festival will be held at the Inner Harbor from Sept. 22 to 24.