In America, white babies are adopted at a much higher rate than black babies. Because of this, a lot of people specifically choose to adopt a child of color when going through the adoption process. Most parents that make this decision do not do it for praise or celebration, but because it makes sense morally. We can all agree that all children should be wanted and loved equally.
However, with these numbers, 40% of adoptions are transracial, which is up 28% since 2004, according to a recent survey from the Department of Health and Human Services. Many adoptive parents that have taken this path claim to be accused of being “on trend,” but the reality is that people are aware of this racial issue and are just trying to help fix it.
Huffington Post wrote that “Adoption, regardless of racial dynamics, requires a level of patience, love and empathy, but a white person choosing to adopt a black child must first be willing to confront the passive racist views all white people hold, subconsciously or not. Going in with the mindset that this black child is no different from any other child is a naiveté the adoptive parent cannot afford, and for which the adopted child will pay. The desire to love a black child must be matched by the willingness to learn and accept the unique needs of blackness and black childhood.”
A very interesting and possibly controversial story has recently been flooding the internet. Aaron and Rachel Halbert are a white couple that adopted two beautiful children of color. This being extremely common and nothing but positive, they never had much negative feedback in that area of their life.
The controversy begins with the story of their biological children. With good intentions and nothing but love in their hearts, Aaron and Rachel gave birth to black children. While it may seem like a cut and dry story, there are a lot of important details beneath the surface. Nobody could have really expected how far back their story goes or why they chose to take this path. Not even Aaron or Rachel expected this journey.
Image Source: Newsner