People are challenging Rachel Dolezal for identifying as a black woman

(USA Today)

Former NAACP official Rachel Dolezar made her first television appearance on Tuesday after being 'outed' as a white woman posing as black.

Ms Dolezar made her appearance on NBC’s Today Show after stepping down from her position as president of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, Washington, where she was accused of lying about her race.

"I was drawing self-portraits with the brown crayon instead of the peach crayon, and black curly hair," she said.

She claimed that she identifies as black, and went on to say that her identity is not blackface or minstrel.

However, people were not keen to the idea that a white woman should identity as black. Some even suggested she appear on a black television broadcast and be questioned by black interviewers.

And that her appearance on the Today Show was a sign of her privilege as a white woman.

People also pointed out that Matt Lauer interviewed her, who is also white, and no blacks were allegedly part of NBC's discussion.

And others criticised her media coverage as more significant issues were largely ignored by the mainstream news cycle.