Philadelphia activist Hannah Gann, a white Jewish woman, admitted she hid or lied about her background. Two groups she worked with said she claimed to be Black, Palestinian and Tunisian; they cut ties and said she is no longer welcome in their organizing spaces.
In a 10-minute video, Gann said no one in her family, among her friends or fellow organizers, or in her professional circles knew about or helped with her deception. She urged people angry with her not to retaliate against or cast suspicion on her former associates.
Rachel Dolezal, who was accused of presenting herself as Black while leading the Spokane NAACP branch, also commented. She said she saw a difference between her case and Gann’s, citing what she described as recently documented Israeli military operatives dressing as Palestinians as a different context for Gann’s story.
