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Late last night on the TV show Inside Edition, (weekend), I saw an interview with one of the Deal or No Deal, 
Suitcase Women. (I know that is a weird title, but, you’ve got to know the show to understand. These women hold up suitcases with money in them and you, well, ask to open them…. and hope its not much money, you want it to be no money, not lots of money and well, ,,,, never mind….).
They showed an old news clip from the 1980’s of a three year old black girl being taken away from her white foster mom. This mom had raised the little girl for her whole three years, but in the state they lived in , they, (they, being the state), wouldn’t let the mom adopt the little girl because of the race difference. They, wanted the little girl to go to a black adoptive family. (I don’t understand why they didn’t place the little girl in a black family to start with. Why put her with a white woman to bond and attach and then yank them apart again).
The little girl went to live with a black family and I presume, was adopted by them.
As they showed the clip, the now grown, suitcase woman watched. She saw herself being taken away from the only mother she ever knew. She saw how her foster mother cried and didn’t want her to go. Suitcase woman was crying as she watched. Thinking back, she shared how she didn’t understand that she wouldn’t be going home again. That she thought she was going on a little trip and would be home again soon. HOme being to her white foster mom.
I didn’t hear how the story turned out but the woman has done pretty well in terms of her modeling career. I don’t belive in the end justifies the means though.
Yet another case of racism taking precedence over common sense.
Have we learned anything in these past twenty years?
I don’t know. Will someone please tell me.
It seems like racism is getting worse rather than better in this country, but mostly among minorities rather that white people. I see at my husbands school organizations for every race and subculture under the sun, but there was recently a group that was broken up because there were to few minorities in it. There was no hazing or rules to keep minorities out, they just weren’t joining. However there are many groups that are exclusively minority, and they aren’t broken up for being racist. I love learning about other cultures and when I look at my close friends I’m grateful for the diversity. I’m Italian and Irish, my husband is spanish and Cherokee, my best friend is Japanese, her husband is Dutch, my other best friend is Korean and I have in my close circle Chinese, African, Mexican, Chilean, etc… However, I wish I could see more of this in the world rather than just seperating yourself based on race.
This is even worse if you are working with kids. A white family can love a black child just as much as a black family can. Sure they might have an easier time with a black family because they can identify with some of the same issues, but isn’t the point to give these kids love? Besides we keep saying that kids need to be color blind, but is this white kids only? Would they remove a white child from a black foster family? I just wonder….
I hope we are getting better. The only thing I know that I can control for sure is my own actions. I try and treat others as I would want to be treated regardless of their skin tone. Notice I didn’t say skin color. We are just various shades of the same color.
After checking myself, I am to be a positive example to those around me. I don’t take part in any of the jokes or stories that even deal with racism on any level.
Oh, I hate to hear about stories like this. It is heart breaking. I think that at some point in the 80s the professional organization for Black Social Workers actually wrote a policy statement taking a position that African-American children should only be adopted by African-American parents and that preference should always be for African-American parents over those of different backgrounds. I hope I am not totally screwing up the facts here. But, if I am recalling that correctly it sounds like this incident could have been fueled from that sentiment of the time. What a mess.
This type of thing is still happening in Pennsylvania. An African American boy was placed in a white foster home at birth or shortly after. Parental rights were terminated when he was 3 years old. Along came the social workers who yanked him out of the only home and family he had known for 3 years and placed him with an African American adoptive family. The foster family appealed in the courts and were turned down. There is a “rule” in that county that same race adoptive families must be given preference. This particular incident did not happen in the 80s – it happened just a few months ago. I feel if that was the “rule”, then he should have been placed in an African American home to start with. Why is a white family good enough to foster but not adopt?!? I feel very sorry for that little boy and others in similar situations.
argh! thanks for the information. i didn’t know that it was an established rule or law anywhere. i just knew it was a position that some professional organizations took a stance on. i think it is actually a law where Native American children are concerned, isn’t it? i’m going to go online and look that up. i seem to vaguely recall that at some point a law was established that only allows Native American families to adopt Native American children. now my curiosity is piqued and i think i am going to research and post on this topic next.
i was mistaken. here is what i found on adoption.com:
“…In 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (PL 95-608) became law, seeking to prevent the unwarranted removal of Indian children; ensure that, when they must be removed, they are placed in homes that reflect their culture; and preserve tribes. Although it is unevenly followed and enforced, it has solidified the power Indian families and tribes have over the placement of their children…”