Mixed Race Adoption

Please forgive me as I spout for a moment. I just read an article on Fox News about four groups who are pushing legislation in New York that will alter transracial adoption laws in that state and potentially in other states. In 1994 legislation was put in place to eliminate race from consideration in adoptions. This was done primarily because there are more Black children in foster care than any other race, and they stay in foster care an average of 9 mos longer than other children. Now these groups want to once again make race a factor stating that Black children raised by White parents are not exposed to their "Black culture" and suffer in other ways related to being raised by White parents. They say that the rules for placement cannot be colorblind. Being "colorblind" might be the ultimate goal (they say), but as we are not yet colorblind as a society they claim we must make race an issue in adopting children.

I am sickened by this. I dare say there are a lot more colorblind people out there than these groups realize. People who are quite willing (as we were) to adopt a child of a different race (or mixed races). We didn't do so blindly, we did so after lots of prayer, discussion, and education regarding the challenges we might face. We prepared ourselves to teach our daughter about all parts of her heritage (she is White, Black and Hispanic).

We get strange looks and sometimes even strange questions. But more often than not what we hear is "what a beautiful baby." The majority of the time we get nothing but love, acceptance, and encouragement from people we meet on the street. Our families have been supportive and loving and our daughter could not be more loved. It just isn't possible.

What makes me so sad about this news in New York and possibly other states as well, is how many Black children will languish now in the "system" over some rule that says only Black people make good parents to Black children. If you ask me it is rules like this that continue to build walls between races and discourage the very "color blindness" we should all seek to develop. Race will be an issue in this country as long as we continue to make it an issue.