I have just finished watching an episode of Ricki Lake about this subject matter.

A number of people say that white people should not adopt or foster Black children however is it better for a child to stay in a foster home if this is the case. Or is it better for the child to move from home to home. Thesesuggestions demonstrate the alternative places for Black children to be placed instead of being with White carers.

You know what before I would have said that it was better for a Black child to be placed with a Black family but you know what at the end of the day I think whoever is going to care for the child regardless of their race is suitable. If a White family can give the child the love and attention it needs then I think it is suitable for them to care for the child. And to those Black people that disagree ask yourself why there are some many beautiful black/mixed raced children that are desperate to find homes? I am sure if you look in the newspapers such as the Voice and New Nation you will see that the subject of the need for more Black carers is a constant problem. Wouldn't it be better for these children to be placed in decent home rather than waiting to be fostered/ adopted for a number of years?

Jayce: I think you'll find that there is a general shortage of Foster and adoption families in the UK period...and that is across all races and not just 'black' families and you are right their is a growing problem of mixed race children ending up in care.. and in the mental health system..

As for placing black children in white families sorry I can't agree on that...I think if you're talking board and lodging yea fair enough but if you're talking nurturing then I think people need to revisit what exactly this means and then question whether this can occur ANYWHERE...

If so why is there such a stigma when GAYS want to adopt 'white' children, using that arguement two gay men should on paper raise a ANY child normally..would people feel comfortable with this?

Have to agree with Kunjufu on this one because I was adopted by white people. They also adopted my brother and sister (both white). A lot of people would think I was awful to complain about my lot because yes I could have ended up in a care home instead of sharing life with very wealthy kind white people. But its deeper than that.

When my parents went to the Mother and Baby home to choose a new born they wanted a blonde blue eyed white baby to match the one they adopted three years before. But there were none that day. My Mother was desperate so in the end the Matron said "Well we do have one baby girl but I;m afraid she;s very dark" I had been placed away from all the other babys in a cot in a corner on my own. My Father fell in love with me and so they decided to have me.

Yes they gave us all a good education and travelled with us a lot, and encouraged us in Arts and Music but for me it was so hard cos I felt so out of place. Like in the Adams family where you have all those freaks and the pretty blonde girl...I knew how she felt. At least I grew up in South London so regularly saw lots of Black people, and had Black friends at school. But I wanted their Mums and Dads to be my Mum and Dad.

My Mother would come out with very confusing statements. She didn;t like me having Black friends. She told me that when she adopted me she didn;t realise I would come out so dark. She thought as my natural Father was Brazilean I would be "nice and Spanish looking." She Hated my Afro...and at age ten every night she would put rollers in my hair and I had to sleep on them. She would go nuts when I said that when I grew up and had babies my babies would be Black.

At fifteen I was out of control. At seventeen I left home and had little to do with them for years. I only went out with Black men and yes had my children with Black men and their families became my family.

I know a lot of adopted people who are not Black.They had identity problems too. A lot of adopted people grow to have intimacy problems and I think it has a lot to do with being disowned and seperated from your Primary care giver...the Mother. But I believe its much worse when the child is the only Black person in the family. To have no roots....no blood relatives...no Black culture...no-one to identify with is Awful beyond belief......and you Hate everything they cook!

One Black guy I know was placed in foster care when very young and seperated from his siblings....and had all his locs cut off and Then was fostered by White people. He actually did have a psychotic breakdown at very young age.

But although I can say from experience I disagree with Black children in white families, I cant say it shouldn;t be allowed because I never had experience of what it would be like in care. Also some Black children with 2 Black parents are also living Hellish lives so I see all sides of the coin.

Has anyone noticedmost of the time it's black people who are saying that 'blacks' being adopted/raised by white people is NOT a good idea. Yet it's always drowned out by whites saying any other way would mean the child would not get love?

I have.

Why are whites not listening to us? Why do they have the last say in what happens to our kids?

Look at their track record in the place theyre-named 'Australia!'.

Locsy - you remind me of another 'mixed-race' girl whoose name began with a 'C'. She too was adopted by whites. She later changed her name to an Afrocentric one when she was 'rebelling' or trying to discover her roots. She wore wraps and everything lol.

She was a nice girl, but I've met some mixed-race people who have also been raised exclusively by whites and in a nutshell they acted like racists, but just because their skin is of a darker hue too, they genuinely thought their behaviourwas not offensive to 'blacks'.

I meet them on a daily basis.

I doubt that anyone can convince me that whites raising black kids is a good idea.

@athaba

There is a very stuck up mixed race woman who lives in my street. She told me I had racist tendencies last time we spoke. Reason being I said I always wanted my children to be Black...apparently I was being racist And politically incorrect! So I know what type you mean. But ignorance belongs to all peoples doesn;t it. I have met really bad ignorance from full blood Black people who are just mean to mix race people...and have no idea or interest in what our story may be. I believe in "Dont judge a man till you;ve walked a mile in his moccassins".

Sometimes even if you;re mix race the spirit of your Black ancestors is very strong, as mine was. I believe in life if you put out a call your "people...tribe" will find you, and you will find them. I am lucky to have some Beautiful Black people in my life to guide me in the way I missed out in my youth.

Just realised that this could turn intothe fearsomeblkhide 'mixed-race' threadso I'll leave it there.

Joyce:

WOW, Riki Lake still comes on?


We wrestled with this subject back in Boston a while back. In the US many of our Black children because of various circumstances become a part of the system, many end up in foster care or group homes and miss out on the opportunity to live a family life. It bugs me out cause being a sizeable minority here (over 39 million at last count) we have the numbers needed to provide a home but many refuse to.

The other day I was watching a TV commercial and it had a mulatto girl and a dark skinned girl calling this older white woman Mom! I tripped me out badly! Is this right