Racial Considerations

With all the talk about the Presidential race, we're hearing about tolerance (or the lack of it) in the media. At various universities and campaign venues around the country, negative racial stereotypes are rearing their ugly heads in response to Barack Obama's candidacy. Even though it is quite possible that Obama will become our next President, the fact remains that, even in this great country of ours, there are still racial barriers. There are still invisible racial lines that are not crossed. How does this affect adoption? The fact is, while there are not enough Caucasian babies for all of the Caucasian families who wish to adopt, there are more African-American babies than there are African-American families to take them. What does this mean for the African-American baby who is being placed for adoption? It means that many of them will go into trans-racial homes. There is nothing wrong with a trans-racial adoption. However, it does come with it's challenges. Every child deserves to know their heritage, where they came from, who they are. Ideally, a child will be matched with a family of the same race. Barring that, a loving home is better than a foster home or no home at all. Can a Caucasian family effectively raise a black child? Certainly. Comedian Tommy Davidson is a good example. He was raised by a white woman who had two white children. He states that he never knew he was different until they moved to Washington D.C., what he terms "the blackest city in America" and the kids started calling his siblings "cracker". When he came home and told his mother, she sat him down and said, "Tommy, I have to tell you now -- you're black". While that sounds comical (and it is when coming from him), it can be devastating to a child to feel out of place (white or black). It happens more often with African-American kids because of the disproportionate number of black families out there adopting them.

The African-American community understandably feels that black children should be raised in black homes. This may be the ideal, but it's not the reality. So, with that knowledge, what can we do to make an adopted child (in this case a black child) feel more included, more welcomed, more a part of a family? Any time there is a trans-racial adoption, parents should be well informed about what they can do to help their child embrace their own culture and heritage. If your child is African-American, provide them with books to read in which the subjects are the same as they are. Provide them with black art. Take them to places where they can see others who resemble them. Provide black role models and influences in their lives. Be aware that even though you can love them, you can't pass on your own heritage alone -- you have to pass on theirs. They deserve nothing less.

The world has come a very long way in the past 40 years. Some of us remember the racial riots in Watts and Chicago. Some of us remember the devastation felt when Martin Luther King was assassinated. I even remember Rosa Parks, a courageous woman who refused to be treated as a second class citizen and literally single-handedly changed the thinking in America. Tomorrow, October 24th, is the third anniversary of her death. In remembrance of Rosa Parks and those who have come after her to blaze the trails of racial equality, think about what you can do to help a child realize their culture and their value, no matter what race they are.