The Adoption Frontier

Madonna did it. Angelina Jolie did it. So did Emma Thompson and Mary-Louise Parker. And in a society where celebrities are seen as cultural leaders, a lot of their fans are doing it too.  But this trend has nothing to do with hair-styles, name brands or fashion statements. Each of these famous women has adopted a child from Africa.  And if the newspapers are correct, the latest to join the group will be Chelsea Clinton.

Not to trivialize the situation, despite ongoing development, sub-Saharan Africa is a dangerous place in which to be born.  Children under 5, whose vital organs have not reached maturity, are most susceptible to malnutrition and malaria, two of the region's most common afflictions according to the World Health Organization. 

African children are also most likely to be double-orphaned than children in any other region on earth.  Ethiopia in particular has become one of the most popular sources for adopted children, ranking second worldwide behind China.

The story is that after nearly three years of unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant and facing some pressure from Bill Clinton, who wants to be a grandfather, 33-year-old Chelsea Clinton and her husband, 35-year-old Marc Mezvinsky, have decided upon adoption. No big deal -- except instead of finding an unwanted white American baby or child, they're considering adopting a designer African baby. Chelsea reportedly warmed up to the idea during a recent trip to Africa.

Although popular with celebrities, adoption from countries within Africa tends to be expensive and complicated for your average citizen.  Africa seems to be ill-equipped in law, policy and practice, to provide its children with enough safeguards when they are adopted internationally.  In addition there are many children of color, if that is your choice available in the United States.

 

Families being torn apart by drug use, poverty, homelessness and even death. At any given moment there are 500,000 children in foster care across the United States with 26% being African American according to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2010 statistics.

 

Read more at http://madamenoire.com/68838/unraveling-the-black-adoption-myths-in-america/#48g220lRWbBBqRsU.99

Here are some numbers culled by Love Isn’t Enough that represent online profiles of adoptive families and what races they are open to adopting:

88% would ‘accept’ a White baby

33% would ‘accept’ a South American or Hispanic baby
28% would ‘accept’ an Asian baby
14% would ‘accept’ a Black baby

This is true of international adoption as well. Only 7% of internationally adopting parents adopt black children, with most prospective adoptive parents preferring to adopt a child of Asian or Eastern European descent.

 

 

Anyone who is seriously considering adoption will likely be informed that waiting for a white infant will take 2+ years, because there are so many prospective adoptive parents unwilling to adoptive a child of color. On the other hand, in most states there are black children waiting for families.

 

For a healthy US-born Black or bi-racial (Caucasian/African-American) infant the estimated wait is approximately 2 to 6 months in some places.

Our American Culture

The "Elite Uncle Tom" Club

This morning I opened up my email to discover that Dr. Ben Carson was now officially a member of the elite "Uncle Tom's Club".  My, my, my ...... the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Any person of color growing up in the United States or anywhere, for that matter knows what the negative term "Uncle Tom" means.  Simply that you have "sold out".  So Dr.  Carson who went from being a poor student to receiving honors and he eventually attended medical school. As a doctor, he became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital at age 33, and became famous for his ground-breaking work separating conjoined twins, among so many other accomplishments is being referred to as a "sell out".

So, step back for a moment, remove all emotion and take a look at this rationally.  Precisely what did he "sell out"?  Here are the facts and statistics:

As the chart above shows. the unemployment rate  for blacks remains consistently higher than unemployment for whites.  I might add that this is consistent against Hispanics and Asians as well. 
This trend is not a new one, as the black unemployment rate has been roughly double that of whites since the government started tracking the figures in 1972. (Money Magazine)

Further:

When we look at the graduation rate from high school published in 2013:  Among racial/ethnic groups, Asian/Pacific Islander students had the highest graduation rate at 93.5 percent. The rates for other groups were 83.0 percent for White students, 71.4 percent for Hispanic students, 69.1 percent for American Indian/Alaska Native students, and 66.1 percent for Black Students.
 http://politic365.com/2013/01/29/report-black-high-school-graduation-rates-lowest-in-country/

Further:

The incarceration rate for American-Americans is so high that young black men without a high school diploma are more likely to go to jail than to find a job, thereby causing the breakup of families and instilling further poverty upon them.

The incarceration rate for African-Americans is about 3,074 per 100,000 residents, which is more than six times as high as the national average. Black men in their 20s and early 30s without a high school diploma are particularly vulnerable: with an incarceration rate of 40 percent, they are more likely to end up behind bars than in the workforce, Pew Charitable Trusts reports.  Roughly 25 percent of African-Americans who grew up in the past three decades have had at least one parent locked up during their childhood, according to Project Muse.
http://rt.com/usa/incarceration-african-black-prison-606/

And Still Further:

Today, 72 percent of black children, 53 percent of Hispanic children and 36 percent of white children are born outside of marriage. The decline in marriage and the rise in illegitimacy are prime factors in crime, poverty and social decay.   There are many reasons for the high percentage of black children either born into a single parent household or growing up without a father figure:  Black women significantly outperform black men in high school and college. As a result, the black middle class is disproportionately female and the black poor are disproportionately male, and the gap is widening.

 Extraordinary rates of incarceration for black men, and the long-term effects of a prison record on employment, exacerbate this situation. Banks refers to studies indicating that “in evaluating potential mates, economic stability still matters more for African-Americans than for other groups.” Yet they may never find that security, and therefore never marry.  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/books/review/is-marriage-for-white-people-by-ralph-richard-banks-book-review.html?pagewanted=all

This small article could not possibly cover all of the issues at large in the Black community, however, I am sure you get the picture.  Aspirational figures within the Black community are constantly having to fight off their de-legitimization by other races  as well as our own people.

In a video clip from The Cycle on MSNBC, show host Touré, who is black, ripped into Dr. Carson for playing the GOP's new black friend last weekend and noted that he was only being used by the party to assuage their guilt.
"When you're publicly admitting that your party doesn't care enough about black America, then it's time for a new black friend. Enter Dr. Ben Carson whose been embraced recently because he is smart and helpful in assuaging their guilt," said Touré.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/im-no-uncle-tom-says-dr-benjamin-carson-92753/#36wHJaTGwpABi5m3.99

The real loser in the whole ball of wax will be Black young men.  Think of a bright young Black boy starting school, working hard and digesting the story line that if you happen to become a successful neurosurgeon, financially sound, married and committed to the one wife as well as your children --- who themselves are successful --- you will be a "sell out".  "That life" is too good for you, it is BETTER to be "legit" (if you can't play ball, sing, or dance) by falling into one of the more inferior categories set out for you.....  And by the way, while you are at it, NEVER  be a conservative....  Then you will be one of the "good" --- not the bad old "Uncle Tom".  The shackles are still tight. 

Never has so little been expected of one race of people.