She also suggested the deception could be linked to traumatic early childhood and teen years.
“Mental health issues likely explain why I assumed a false identity initially, as a youth, and why I continued and developed it for so long; the mental health professionals from whom I have been so belatedly seeking help assure me that this is a common response to some of the severe trauma that marked my early childhood and teen years,” she wrote.
The university told the JC on Friday it was aware of the post and was looking into the situation but could not comment further.
She is an “historian of politics, ideas, and cultural practices in Africa and the African Diaspora“ and her areas of expertise include African American History, imperialism and colonialism, according to the university’s website.
The post sparked outrage and ridicule online, with many drawing comparisons to Rachel Dolezal, a civil rights activist who drew controversy after it was revealed both her parents were white.
