Satchuel Cole: Indiana Black Lives Matter activist admits she merely posed as Black after media exposé
A Black Lives Matter activist who, up until recently identified publicly as a Black woman, has confessed to having faked her ethnicity. Satchuel Cole — in a Facebook post under the name Satch Paige — admitted that she has "taken up space as a Black person while knowing I am White". She has worked with such organizations such as Indy10 Black Lives Matter, Indy SURJ, and the now-defunct Don’t Sleep. In addition to her fight for Black rights, she was also an LGBTQIA+ activist who fought for the community.
The confession follows an expose by Blackindylive.com, who broke the story. Satch Cole's rise as an activist came with the backstory of her having had a Black father, which is now revealed to have been a lie. Satchuel Cole — who was born Jennifer Benton — is revealed to have been born to Rachel Irick and John Oliver Benton in 1975. All official documents see that both Rachel Irick and John Oliver Benton have indicated that they are Caucasian, with no family members in Satch Cole's history being identified as Black.
According to Blackindylive.com, Satch Cole legally changed her name in 2010, from Jennifer Benton to Satchuel Paigelyn Cole — a mix of names of MLB Pitcher Leroy Robert 'Satchel' Paige and Jennifer’s close friend, Chantelle-Owens-Cole. It is around this time that Satchuel Cole began publically identifying as a Black woman, and as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Cole told friends close to her that she was a biracial Black woman on her father's side, and that she hadn't seen him for years. Cole's duplicity went so far as to "reunite" with a man she called her long-lost African-American father for an interview with Freedom Indiana.
Cole began her activism soon after, and became a familiar face in the Indianapolis Activism Community. Cole has been lauded by over a dozen outlets as a leader in the Black community for her activism roles, an image she bolstered through several media spots in Indianapolis news.
Satch Cole's confession on Facebook reportedly reads as follows: "Friends, I need to take accountability for my actions and the harm that I have done. My deception and lies have hurt those I care most about. I have taken up space as a Black person while knowing I am White. I have used Blackness when it was not mine to use. I have asked for support and energy as a Black person. I have caused harm to the city, friends and the work that I held so dear. I will do the work to take responsibility for my actions and try to reduce the harm that I have already caused. If there are ways to repair the harm, I will do the work that is required to do so. I will continue to seek the help necessary to heal myself. I am sorry for the harm I have caused. I am sorry for the hurt and betrayal. I will do what I can to show that I want to be a better person."