A very important detail has been lost in the drama over the Romneys' adopted black child: They named him "Kieran," which is Gaelic for "black." Hmmmm? Although, some of the white Romney boys have unsual names, I noticed none is named "Aryan."
That got me to wondering, what if my wife and I (we're both black) adopted a white baby and named him Aryan? How would people react? But never mind, we probably wouldn't be allowed to adopt a white child anyway.
I expressed that to a white conservative during a Twitter conversation and he hit the ceiling. He tweeted: "Why on earth would you say you couldn't adopt white kid? That shit isn't funny."
Too bad he thought I was joking, because no...that "shit" isn't funny. As I told him, about a year ago a well-to-do black family I know, which is heavily into the foster care scene, tried to a adopt a little white baby boy from the agency that knows them well.
Via this agency, over the years this family has fostered several children--primarily black, but a few bi-racial and fewer white children. This particular time, they had a white infant and a bi-racial toddler in their care at the same time and fell completely in love with them. So much so, they decided they wanted to adopt both.
When they approached the agency about adopting them, they were told point blank they could adopt the bi-racial child, but not the white child. Why? Because the agency felt for its social and cultural benefit, it would be in the white child's best interests to be placed with a white family. End of discussion.
Of course, that type of discrimination is illegal. But that happened. Who knows how often it happens, but my guess is most blacks looking to adopt probably expect that type of resistance and don't even bother.
Needless to say, my friends were crushed and angry. And to no avail, they appealed to the management of the agency and were still told "no." They talked about filing a lawsuit and/or going to the news media, but as far as I know they never did. At some point, they stopped pursuing it and never adopted either child.
I don't know if that agency allows and/or encourages white families to adopt black or bi-racial kids. But about the only blacks I know of who adopted white kids are Lionel Richie and the late Michael Jackson.
I couldn't find any data that shows how many black and bi-racial kids are adopted into white families or how many minority families adopt white kids. But according to statistics verified in 2013 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 40 percent of all adoptions are trans-racial (http://www.statisticbrain.com/...). This is just speculation on my part, but I'd bet serious money that probably 95% of those adoptions involve white families adopting minority children.
While I don't see a whole lot of little white kids in black families. I see several black and bi-racial kids in white families. One of my white co-workers recently adopted two black children when they were infants...and she's doing a great job parenting them. But unfortunately, I see a double standard.
Let's face it, it's more socially acceptable for whites to adopt non-white children, than it is for non-white families to adopt white kids. I can't help but wonder if agencies feel like white families adopting black children is like the black children being "rescued" from ghetto life...like being adopted into any white family will somehow and automatically mean a better life for them. I call it the "Diff'rent Strokes syndrome." But this is reality. There's no laugh track and every situation doesn't end in some silly "What you talkin' "bout Willis?!" moment.
I have absolutely no problem with trans-racial adoption, every child deserves a loving family. Love is love and I repeat: Every child deserves a loving family. But I have an extremely serious problem with the racism in a system that allows white families to adopt black and other minority children, but won't allow minority families to adopt white children or discourages them from adopting white kids.
And of course, a system that works like that will allow a wealthy white family like the Romneys to adopt a black child. My fear is the possibility that the Romneys adopted this child for political reasons: A deceitful effort to undermine widespread beliefs that the Romneys, Republicans and Mormon church are racist. For the benefit of the child, I hope I'm wrong. But, why the name "Kieran?" They basically named him The Black Romney.
MSNBC talk show host Melissa Harris-Perry got into hot water recently when a panel on her show ridiculed the Romneys for adopting Kieran. Children of celebrities and politicians should be off limits, but I'm not bad-mouthing the Romneys' adopted child and neither did Harris-Perry.
I can't speak for Harris-Perry, but I'm simply expressing doubts and concerns about the Romneys' sincerity and motives. I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt, but they've never given me any reason to. Again, I really hope I'm wrong for the baby's sake--but unlike Harris-Perry, I'm not apologizing for expressing my doubts. The Romneys will have every opportunity to prove me wrong...and I hope they do.