We had our first experience of racial discrimination yesterday and I can't even describe the emotions it brought up inside of me.
A man who has known Howie's family for a really long time came to our door campaigning for... Well it doesn't matter who he was campaigning for. But he asked for donations for a yard sign and we declined saying we were adopting and have cut our frivolous spending. He proceeded to give us adoption advice. When they adopted (40 some years ago) they put all the prominent well known individuals in town as references so that they could get a "good Caucasian baby you know the whole works" (<that is exactly what he said and it will be engraved in my mind for the rest of my life).
Then the part I am kind of ashamed about, we told him we were adopting internationally and that it was different. We didn't say we would be adopting an adorable Ethiopian. We didn't bring up that we are going to be parents of an African child. My heart is heavy with shame that we did not stand up for our baby (who's probably not born yet).
So in the future I will stand up for him. Because he deserves a loving family who knows how special he is. How lucky we will be to be his family.
On another note, some people from our church bought us this crib and it is absolutely PERFECT! SO BLESSED!
A man who has known Howie's family for a really long time came to our door campaigning for... Well it doesn't matter who he was campaigning for. But he asked for donations for a yard sign and we declined saying we were adopting and have cut our frivolous spending. He proceeded to give us adoption advice. When they adopted (40 some years ago) they put all the prominent well known individuals in town as references so that they could get a "good Caucasian baby you know the whole works" (<that is exactly what he said and it will be engraved in my mind for the rest of my life).
Then the part I am kind of ashamed about, we told him we were adopting internationally and that it was different. We didn't say we would be adopting an adorable Ethiopian. We didn't bring up that we are going to be parents of an African child. My heart is heavy with shame that we did not stand up for our baby (who's probably not born yet).
So in the future I will stand up for him. Because he deserves a loving family who knows how special he is. How lucky we will be to be his family.
On another note, some people from our church bought us this crib and it is absolutely PERFECT! SO BLESSED!
Beautiful crib!
ReplyDeleteI remember when we tried to adopt domestically, and CSB sent us a letter reminding us that biracial children would be half black! DUH!