Who gets to define what race you are?

It appears we’ve been having this discussion recently about how white people are treated differently from black people without clearly defining the terms “white” and “black.”

Related: Spokane NAACP president resigns in wake of race controversy

Now we have the case of Rachel Dolezal, former head of the NAACP in Spokane, who has identified herself as black and was duly elected as President of the local NAACP by a board who believes she is black. But Dolezal’s childhood pictures &#8212 disclosed by her white parents &#8212 show a blonde-haired white girl.

Commentators &#8212 white and black &#8212 are struggling with what this really means. Here’s Michaela Angela Davis, who is black and has written for “Essence” and “Vibe” magazine.

“We’re looking at an individual with some sort of racial or identity disorder, some kind of dysmorphia,” Davis told CNN, commenting about Dolezal.

She was on CNN saying Dolezal has a mental illness and is doing a disservice to real black women.

“If she decides to take that weave out, she can go about her life and be a white woman,” Davis said.

But Davis is herself blonde. When she was on a panel last year organized by NYU, she told a white girl in the audience, “If you gave me 30 minutes, I can go back stage and look like you.”

Davis went on to say that her goal is to get beyond the conflicts created by different skin shades within the black community.

“Here’s what freedom really looks like, I don’t know if I’m there yet but I’m on that road &#8212 we get to define ourselves. We get to say who we are, completely without my approval,” Davis said.

Which sounds exactly like what Dolezal is trying to do.