your macy's card. text tv -- zantac heartburn alert. zantac rushes relief in 30 minutes for relief without the wait. no pill relieves heartburn faster. >> number one in just 60 seconds. good evening. thank you for joining us. tonight, the story that still has the the internet abuzz at this hour. it is the woman who for years built a personal and professional life around the notion she is a black woman. that is until a couple claiming to be her decidedly nonblack parents came forward to say they had no idea what she is talking about. >> through all of the struggle through all of the pain we still rise. >> the curious case of rachel dolezal. >> the work that we are doing is so necessary. and essential. >> today not so much. a shocking revelation sparked a national debate with allegations. this 37-year-old has been posing as black for a decade. here she is in photos presented by her family. a teenager. >> yes, i do kid myselfconsider myself to be back. this montana couple say they are her real parents and told us both european descent of no known traces of african-american heritage. >> rachel is clearly white as we are. >> she has not ex-plannedplained why she has disguised herself and been deceptive about her ethnicity the way she has tried to represent herself as some one who she is not. that's what its concerning to us. >> dolezal went to howard university as a graduate student and hired as part time professor in washington teaching africaner studies. >> when it comes to hair hair is for black women much more than just an aesthetic. >> she should know often experimenting with natural hair styles. she is an artist painting works that depect the struggles of people of color. some priced for more than $10,000. art work featured in the video. >> we have older white men on our currency. what does that do to us as an image, it is part of our history. >> here on this application for city job with spokane police commission she declared herself as three races, white, black, native american. the spokane chapter, posted a picture of rachel and this man who she said was her father. claiming he couldn't visit spokane because he was battling bone cancer. a local reporter from affiliate kxly confronted her. >> is that your dad? >> yeah that's my dad. >> this man right here is your father? right there? >> do you have a question about that? >> yes ma'am, i was wondering if your dad really is an african-american man? >> that's a very i don't know what you are implying? >> are you african-american? >> i don't understand the question of -- i did tell you yes that's my dad. and he was unable to come in january. >> are your parents -- are they white? >> her parents say she grew distant from them as she took hn her new identity. >> she rejected us. she has asked us not to come to her area. >> her parents claim rachel was always interested in diversity and black culture. the dolezal family adopted four black children and rachel later nd had a child. the couple is now divorced. apparently rachel said she is estranged from her parents due to legal dispute. in an interview, with the "seattle times," rachel dodged questions about her ethnicity. there is a lot of complexity. i don't know everyone would understand that. the controversy set the internet ablaze on twitter angry users twigt under #trendracial. one user saying my problem with transracial, black folks can't decide to be white when the cops raid the pool partyable. a white woman can be a naacp president. >> we know rachel's name. this is a person who made a choice to misrepresentative themselves. in so many ways assuming a black identity paid off. to be black in america, it actually has costs, not payoffs. >> others united under ask rachel asking humorous hypothetical questions. if your mama brought you into this world what else can she do? take you out, b, buy you a kente cloth, c, make you lunch. >> a funny scenario. you have a person pretending to be african-american leading a group that is designed to help african-americans. >> question as but rachel's dolezal's racial identity came to light when she reported to police she was being targeted for being black, victim of a hate crime. recounting the story in this youtube video. >> we actually received a package in the mail that was a 20-page, lengthy, manifesto, including photos of lynchings, photos of myself other forms of death threats. >> spokane police say they have found any evidence and have halted their investigation. posing as a race other than your own isn't anything new. historically it was more common for black people to pose as white because of racial discrimination. but increasingly the trend is shifting. >> if you look at the case with iggy azalea. she is a caricature of what a black woman represents. if you look at mclemore, the year he won the grammys, it's not far-fetched for some one who decide to be white to embrace an african-american persona. >> in 1998 the then 22-year-old indian-american, estranged brother of mindy, shocked his family, by posing as a black man to get into medical school. fool's gold he later regretted. >> i was desperate to go to medical school. it was not a social experiment. i hid it for 15 years. i didn't want the world to know what i did. my own sister said telling the story would bring shame on the fa i understand the family pressure associated with lying about your race. >> he couldn't stick with the lie. vijay ended up dropping out. >> when you accept some one who is not qualified because of their race sometimes they don't succeed. which is what happened to me. >> he said rachel's case highlights a bigger issue. >> if everyone can lie about their race on their application then affirmative action will fall apart like a house of cards. >> now he is an admissions consultant and author and believes what he did was wrong. >> people were very angry. i think a lot of the people have faced a lot of racism in their lives. >> for lacy schwartz seeing dolezal's reaction elicited strong reactions. >> the fact is that her parents outed her to the media as not being black. you have to wonder why would they even do that? >> schwartz 38 is biracial but thought she was white until she was 18 when her mother confessed she lied to schwartz awful her life. >> i grew up actually believing i was white. i thought i was who my family was. we had our explanations why i looked the way i did. but the rest of the world that didn't seem to hold up. >> whatever happened with you and daddy. >> she made a film called "little white lie." she fields one's racial identity can be fluid. >> however the story ends what does it say about how this nation still views racial identity? based on the strong response to stories this got. >> racial identity in this country is still incredibly binary, a strong divide between black and white. >> in the whack ofake of the controversy, the naacp is standing by their leader one's racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for naacp leadership. as for rachel dolezal she has not spoken with abc news on the record about the situation. she maintains to the "seattle times" that we are all from the african continent. >> next virgin empire. how richard branson is bimding the brand with the new hotel chain catering to a different kind of professional. >> whoo! ah! ike to deal with high... and low blood sugar. januvia (sitagliptin) is a once-daily pill that, along with diet and exercise helps lower blood sugar. januvia works when your blood sugar is high and works less when your blood sugar is low, because it works by enhancing your body's own ability to lower blood sugar. plus januvia, by itself, is not likely to cause weight gain or low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). januvia should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. tell your doctor if you have a history of pancreatitis. serious side effects can happen, including pancreatitis which may be severe and lead to death. stop taking januvia and call your doctor right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area which may be pancreatitis. tell your doctor right away and stop taking januvia if you have an allergic reaction that causes swelling of the face, lips tongue, or throat, or affects your breathing or causes rash or hives. kidney problems sometimes requiring dialysis have been reported. using januvia and a sulfonylurea or insulin together may cause low blood sugar. to reduce the risk, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose of the sulfonylurea or insulin. your doctor may perform blood tests before and during treatment to check your kidneys. if you have kidney problems a lower dose may be prescribed. side effects may include upper respiratory tract infection, stuffy or runny nose and sore throat, and headache. for help lowering your blood sugar talk to your doctonuvia today. introducing the first ever gummy multivitamin from centrum. a complete, and tasty new way to support... your energy... immunity... and metabolism like never before. centrum multigummies. see gummies in a whole new light. there's something out there. it's a highly contagious disease. it can be especially serious- even fatal to infants. unfortunately, many people who spread it may not know they have it. it's called whooping cough. and the cdc recommends everyone, including those around babies, make sure their whooping cough vaccination is up to date. understand the danger your new grandchild faces. talk to your doctor or pharmacist about you and your family getting a whooping cough vaccination today. he has conquered one aspect of the travel experience with virgin airlines. tonight multibillionaire richard branson is setting his sights on what happens when you arrive at your destination. in signature style at his flashy new hotel chain, it is the little things that make a big difference in your experience. abc's rebecca jarvis found out those rooms also have a sexy secret. >> all right, feeling good? >> feeling good! >> reporter: one of the richest men in the world. a ceo with rock star status. richard branson unveiling his newest venture in a way only he can dancing on top of a car stopping traffic in a moment inspired by ferris buehler's day off. ♪ you know you got me going now ♪ >> reporter: we are behind the scenes with brandon in chicago, the tie-hating high school dropout who started virgin as a mail order records company now hangs with hollywood celebrities like kate hudson and estimated net worth of $5 billion. plus, his very own island. last thing you bought? >> a hotel. >> reporter: you bought a hotel. >> reporter: as in virgin hotels. his target audience a fast growing segment of business travelers, women, the rooms featuring larger mirrors and fully lighted vanities privacy doors to the bedroom and double the closet space. what makes it different from catering to a male audience? >> over the years, how awful hotels are for women. standing trying to do your makeup. you can't actually see your face in the mirror. somebody opens the door you have no clothes on. there is no way of protecting yourself. everything about hotels is not women friendly. >> reporter: the hotel describes itself as contemporary and cheeky. >> let's make sure our hotels are really friendly for women travelers and of course one of the advantages of that if your hotel is full of women travelers, i'm sure the men won't come and visiting hotels as well. >> reporter: and take the tesla out for a spin. and take a look at the minibar and tell me what you think of the goodies. >> we found an intimacy kit for the price of an see what's inside. yelp and trip advisers give the hotel average 4 1/2 stars. it also passed the test with chicago fashion blogger ashley hutchinson. >> i like the space. i like the vibe. i like that it kind of caters to my age group a little bit. not many hotels do that. and it's a lot of fun. >> reporter: final score, scale 1-5? >> i would say 4.5. >> reporter: 4.5. >> high marks? >> definitely. a fun place. >> reporter: a big bet in the hotel industry predicted to generate $550 billion in sales next year. branson coaching his hotel will find similar success to virgin airlines. let's give it a go. and virgin atlantic named number one airline. >> it is incredible. seven years in a row, both virgin and virgin america is starting winning all the award. very proved what they have created. and they're up against big carriers. but they're definitely fantastic quality. >> reporter: things have been more turbulent at branson's other big travel venture. virgin galactic a test flight turned into tragedy when one crew member lost his life. another seriously injured when space ship 2 blew up. >> obviously had a horrendous setback last yearable.. we have 400 technicians and engineers working day and night to get back on track. and our brave test pilots will put the space ships through their paces. >> when do you think that might happen? >> when it is ready. i have learned not to give dates. rocket science is tough. and you know we'll make sure that we get it absolutely right. and then we'll go. >> reporter: well that trip to outer space may still be a ways off, branson has found another way to transform life here on earth. at least for his employees. announcing this week that managers in the uk and geneva offices will receive a full year of paid maternity and paternity leave. writing on his blog as a father and now a grandfather to three wonderful grandchildren, i know how magical the first year of a child's life is. but also how much hard work it takes. being able to spend as much time as possible with your loved ones is absolutely vital especially early on. your one piece of advice to people who want to change the world like richard branson has? >> you start step by step. and, the most important thing is to start. and if you have an idea that can make people's lives better, that's the business. and just get out and do it. >> reporter: for "nightline," rebecca jarvis in chicago. ♪ >> and next -- inside an isis takedown. they seem unstoppable in videos like these, but are they really? >> announcer: abc news "nightline" brought to you by macy's. finally tonight, we are about to take you into the heart of the anti-terrorism program in the persian gulf region. for an up close and top secret look at what is happening on the front lines of the fight to defeat isis once and for all. here is abc's chief global affairs correspondent martha raddatz. >> those gripping and iconic images. isis the up start terrorist group sweeping across iraq and syria. images carefully cultivated to make it appear that the group is invincible. but what is being done to stop this march across the middle east? we traveled to a location in the persian gulf region we have been asked not to disclose where we were given exclusive television access to see the 24/7 operation to take down isis. behind these closed doors, the ultimate war room. >> this is really the centerpiece of our current operations in iraq and syria. >> reporter: here video feeds flow in from every corner of the battlefield. in warfare this modern even a tweet could hold vital information. >> based on their twitter profiles we are able to determine if they're either pro isil or pro goi, pro isf. >> reporter: pro iraqly government. all of that. feet away the fires desk coordinating air strikes. >> what you are watching is the very last pieces of the chain that i talked about. >> reporter: where the missiles are fired and bombs are dropped? >> correct. >> reporter: helping to guide the bombs to their targets, joint terminal attack controllers, jtac. we met a group decompressing after a nine month stint in iraq. this is what number deployment? >> 12. >> these men are at the center of debate how close to the front line the u.s. should be. right now they operate from remote strike cells searching for targets. some believe they would be far more effective if they were side by side with the iraqi troops. >> pulled back out of the fight not physically on the ground in the battle that is a huge difference for us. >> reporter: the commander for the mission against isis or what they call dash is general james terry. >> i think there is progress in the campaign. the first phase of the campaign was halt not dash. we felt like we have done that. >> you believe you have halted? >> i do. >> isis? >> i do. >> it doesn't look that way. >> reporter: take for example the images of isis taking ramadi last month. iraqi troops fleeing again calling into question the will and ability of the iraqi troops to fight. >> they can learn from this. they can look into -- into some of the challenges they have. they can fix those with our advising and assisting. >> reporter: you have seen the billions of dollars we spent on this effort. what would you tell people who say, hey, this -- it's still, it still isn't working. why will it work this time? >> it is going to work. it has to work. >> reporter: for "nightline," ichl i'm martha raddatz in the persian gulf region. >> it was british prime minister margaret thatcher who said "you may have to fight a battle more than once to win it." thank you for watching abc news. tune in too "good morning america" tomorrow. as always online 24/7 on the facebook page and abcnews.com. good night america. hi. hi, marie. whwas the truck in front of the house with the dancing little bugs on top? we've got termites. oh, my god! oh! oh, dear! i told you, dear. you have to keep up with your housekeeping. marie, why don't you-- oh, children come on. off the floor right now. come on. you're all coming to stay with grandma. no, no, no. we have a hotel that we're gonna stay at while they tent the house. a hotel? those places are even dirtier than here.

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