Another white woman has come forward to apologize after posing as a Black woman for so many years.
Satchuel Cole, who was born Jennifer Lynn Benton, worked as a Black Lives Matter activist in Indiana. In 2017, she was a spokesperson for the family of Aaron Bailey, a Black man who was fatally shot by police following a traffic stop.
She took to Facebook to apologize to all of her friends for taking “up space as a Black person” even though she was born white. “Friends, I need to take accountability for my actions and the harm that I have done.” she wrote. “My deception and lies have hurt those I care most about. I have taken up space as a Black person while knowing I am white.”
She continued, “I have used Blackness when it was not mine to use. I have asked for support and energy as a Black person. I have caused harm to the city, friends and the work that I held so dear. I will do the work to take responsibility for my actions and try to reduce the harm that I have already caused.
“If there are ways to repair the harm, I will do the work that is required to do so. I will continue to seek the help necessary to heal myself. I am sorry for the harm I have caused. I am sorry for the hurt and betrayal. I will do what I can to show that I want to be a better person.”
Benton is the latest white woman to come forward after pretending to be Black. Earlier this month, REVOLT readers might recall the story of Jessica A. Krug, a professor at George Washington University who resigned after lying about being a Black woman.
She published her public apology via Medium, admitting that she “assumed identities within a Blackness” that she “had no right to claim.”
Check out Benton’s full apology post below.
Friends, I need to take accountability for my actions and the harm that I have done. My deception and lies have hurt…
Posted by Satch Paige on Wednesday, September 16, 2020