4 decades ago in September 1972, in an unpublished position statement on trans-racial adoptions, the National Association of Black Social Workers in the U.S. stated:
“Black children belong physically and psychologically and culturally in black families where they receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future. Only a black family can transmit the emotional and sensitive subtleties of perceptions and reactions essential for a black child’s survival in a racist society.: Human beings are products of their environment and develop their sense of values, attitudes, and self-concept within their own family structures. Black children in white homes are cut off from the healthy development of themselves as black people.”
While in the U.K. racial and ethnic matching of children with families has remained an important objective in adoption processes. This has recently been questioned and once again there is renewed debate as to whether racial discourses in adoption are an obstacle to adoptions or an important factor ensuring children’s positive identity development and ability to deal with racial issues.
Therefore, in today’s debte we wish to explore interracial adoptions and examine questions such as:
- Are racial and ethnic matching of children with their adoptive families important? If yes why? If no why not?
- What are the advantages of racial and ethic matching in adoptions?
- Are racial and ethnic matchings an obstacle to adoptions? Do they delay adoptions?
- Should a loving white family seeking to adopt a black child not be allowed to do so? If yes why? if no Why not?
Join and share your views @SWSCmedia regarding these and other relevant questions, today 8:00 PM GMT / 3:00 PM EST.
