

I’d say that a lot of race is based upon shared experiences with other members of the group, and being seen as part of the group. Many people from the Middle East and North Africa see themselves as white. A lot of white Americans and Europeans disagree. I would say that being perceived as a member of an in group is more important than actual color. For example, some lighter skinned African-Americans were able to be perceived as white, thus being treated significantly better. Were they black? Of course they were. They made a conscious decision to pick which experiences and culture they wanted. But they definitely had experiences where they didn’t pass, and had experiences according to their given race.
If one was assumed to be white, then they could either make the choice to correct them, or not. Dolezal is fucking ridiculous, and definitely just trying to sow discord and violence, especially towards transgender people.