Color Consciousness 101

My husband sent me this interesting link from CNN on transracial adoption. Alan and I have two very different approaches to raising a black child. Mine is to do what I can to embrace and educate myself on african american history and culture. Alan's is to focus on the core values and love it takes to raise any child. As a practical matter, I think it is working out having both approaches in our home. However you might think my approach is more dominate in that Jonathan is very race aware and openly discusses his observations. A teacher mentioned that he is the most race aware 4 yo she has ever met.

This article reinforces my approach. The net is that whites need training on being color conscious and that it is not easy being in a transracial family.

But I think they really missed the forest from the trees. Every adoptive parent needs additional training in noticing and encouraging the genetics of the child they have adopted. Skin color and its reaction in our culture is just one of the more obvious examples. But the genetics differences might be music or creativity or height or health or anything else. While Jonathan skin color is part of him, it is just a part of him. The key to parenting is helping your child discover, love and enjoy who he is and who he is becoming.

G