Rachel Dolezal’s new name was apparently given to her.
The controversial figure is in the middle of a whirlwind press tour to promote her new book “In Full Color: Finding My Place in a Black And White World,” a memoir about her exploration with race.
In the book, she also discusses her decision to take on a new West African name, Nkechi Amare Diallo. Nkechi, short for Nkechinyere, comes from the Igbo word for “what God has given” or “gift of God” in Nigeria, the New York Daily News reports.
News of her name change broke earlier this month to much amusement.
“We reject her attempt to attach herself to our glory, through that first name,” best-selling author Luvvie Ajayi wrote in a humorous blog post titled “We, The Nigerians, Do Not Accept Rachel Dolezal’s New Name”.
Well, according to the self-proclaimed trans-racial woman, looks like a Nigerian actually gave her the name. Dolezal sat down with NBC News Tuesday to explain:
“Unfortunately, the press said I chose it randomly, which I didn’t,” she explains. “And at the end of the book, I discuss that an Igbo man reached out to me and really just said that, “We see you. My tribe sees you for who you are, and you have this high frequency in your soul and you’re incarnated into this white envelope. And you were brought here as a gift from the gods to challenge white supremacy spiritually.”
That event occurred in January 2016, and she decided to legally change her name in October after struggling to find steady employment.