Keri Hilson thinks Rachel Dolezal deserves praise, not ridicule.

The NAACP leader was recently outed by her parents for posing as a Black woman, but Hilson says Dolezal should still get credit for her work in civil rights. 

| CLICK FOR THE BEST TWEETS IN RESPONSE TO RACHEL DOLEZAL'S IDENTITY | 

But there are parts of the act that she took a little too far, the singer said. Dolezal, who leads the Spokane, Wash., NAACP chapter and teaches Black Studies at a local college part-time, claimed that as a child she was beaten with a “baboon whip” similar to those used on slaves.

In a statement Friday, the NAACP showed its support for Dolezal, noting: "One’s racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership. “ 

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(Photos from left: Jason Merritt/Getty Images, Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review via AP, File)