My take on the new Hollywood trend of adopting African babies is up on EbonyJet today. Here's your intro ...What will the world be like in 10-20 years? When we have perspective to look back on the Great African-Baby Rush of '06-07?
Will history fondly remember these fair baby-mamas? Or has the ugly face of racism simply taken on the most becoming of disguises?
Seems like it was only 10-20 years ago when many of us were brazenly scoffing at Caucasians at cocktail parties. "Whatever!" we exclaimed. "They may talk a good game, but it's not like any of these Hollywood celebs are taking care of some stinky old dark baby in Africa."
And look at them now: Madonna! Angelina! The girl from Weeds! All as skinny, and kind, and benevolent as Mr. Drummond himself.
In the slightly altered words of the old Negro spiritual theme song “Different Strokes”:
A [wo]man is born, a [wo]man of means,
Then along come three, they ain't even got no jeans…
But they got …
Mel-a Nin
It takes
Mel-a Nin
It takes
Mel-a Nin
To move the world…
Mmmmmmmm
continued on EbonyJet ...
UPDATE II: All is fixed, so first update is no longer needed.
Can Celebrities Adopt Us? [Ebony]
Hollywood's Latest Accessory [TMZ]
What difference does it make who adopted the damn kid, it seem like everytime somebody(celebrities) of a different race adpots a kid, the public always got to comment about it. If Angelina Jolie wanna adopt 100,000,000 black kids then let her do whatever she wanna do w/ her money, (you don't see the black celebrities adopting nobody's kids, hmmm i wonder why, call it what you feel, cause black people always saying whites are prejudice & don't give a damn about a nigga, but name one black celeb you know adopted a blcak kid.They might donate some money but when that money gone, then what??? Oprah ass then paid for a school to be built & we all know she got mo money then Angelina Jolie, she could of adopted all dem kids & had that school made over here.
ReplyDeletewell, i think tom cruise and nicole kidman deserve a little credit for adopting little Connor before all the 'craze' of adopting black children became the latest hollywood trend.
ReplyDeletei honestly think that those mentioned in your article have big hearts and are just trying to 'help'. i do see this as potentially growing into the latest handbag fad though, so i agree with you....ixnay immediately.
ok, im neither negro nor a celebrity, but i am as white as paste and an adoptive mother of children who arent. NO CHILD should be considered an accessory. Adoption is a life long commitment...and a person (no matter what their color) should be prepared for that and prepared to help their child deal with the grief of the loss of their first family, learn about their birth heritage, try to learn about and expose them to their culture of birth (even if it is different than the adoptive parents) PLUS if there are any physical, mental, emotional disabilities to be prepared to help the child deal with those as well. i say, if you are black and you know someone who is white and has adopted a child that is black...please try to be an encouragement and a positive influence in that childs life. i am white (was born that way, not my choice), will always be white....will never be black (cant help that either). but i would lay my life down for my daughter who was born in africa. she nearly died twice from respiratory infections and malaria while we were going through the process to adopt her. she has cerebral palsy and will probably never walk or talk and was nothing but skin and bones on the day that she went in to the orphanage. she is now loved, fed, wanted and a vital member of our family of many colors. who would say that she would have been better off dying on a mud floor in africa? of course children growing up in their family of birth is best. but when their families can not feed them let alone care for children with extreme special needs and come to the orphanage asking for help and want their child to be adopted, who shall say no to these families just because the person wanting to adopt their child is white. deny the child an opportunity to live because of politics? sometimes adoption really is the difference between life and death. read about conditions in Liberia W. Africa. the situation is desperate.
ReplyDeleteand if jay-z and beyonce want to adopt a white child from nebraska that needs a family that would be A-Ok with me. we are all people that need love and a family and, unfortunately, too many kids of ALL colors have neither.
ReplyDeletebut just for the record i wouldnt let paris or britney within 10 ft. of my dog let alone care for a human child.
ReplyDeleteok, im done now.
i'd like to be adopted by Brad Pitt...LMAO!
ReplyDeleteAs with any race, I think its important for the child to learn about, be exposed to and meet as many of their natural family as possible, adopted or not. If not, that lack of identity can have a lasting impact on their adulthood.
ReplyDeleteWhy do white celebrities adopt african babies? Is it a guarantee into heaven? Are they trying too hard for those almighty cool points in the eyes of other celebs? Is it the guilt they feel for their ancestors sticking it to us for all them years? I really don't know but it pisses me off how they parade their newfound status symbol in the faces of black people. Maybe Jay-Z and Beyonce should adopt a white european baby and see if that raises any flags. My guess is it will.
ReplyDeleteAs spokesperson for the entire black race (as some people think all bloggers are) I say let them adopt as they choose, until there is a national campaing by Ebony, Jet, Essence, and Black Enterprise to promote adoption in African American homes I have no problem with it. Otherwise these children would indeed be left to damn near starve in an orphanage.
ReplyDeleteWhat we should be watching is the campaign by the Christian right to adopt more babies, as a reaction to the criticism that pro-lifers don't care about children after they're born. These are the ones who may really do some damage because no one is watching them and critiquing their haircare choices (see Angelina and Zahara). They really are trying to use black babies to get into heaven.
Family is family no matter the color.
1.) It's a hell of a lot harder to adopt an American child of any color than it is to adopt a child from a foreign child. That's why people go abroad.
ReplyDelete2.) It's harder to adopt black kids than white kids, because some people make a stink about white parents adopting black kids. Especially black people. And I do find it ironic that rich black celebrities don't adopt,cuz in the hood, people are adopting each other's kids all the time, when the parents get lost to drugs.
If someone has the means to adopt they should adopt. Of all the poor destitute countries in the world, Africa has a multitude of orphans to to adopt, thanks to AIDS, war, genocide. Nobody was complaining when adopting Ukranian babies. What's the big deal? If a kid needs a home, a kid needs a home.
Another person who adopted kids from all over the world, long before it was famous... Josephine Baker.
Leaving race out of it, I don't think celebrities should adopt. period.
ReplyDeleteMsP
I'm African American and don't see anything wrong with anyone adopting African American kids. What are the options for the child? To remain in foster care until they are an adult? I don't consider that a good option, especially, if they get a chance to be adopted into a loving family. Yes, an African American child may miss an education or may be out of touch with the racial realities. I think overall, this is irrelevant when the well being of a human being is at stake.
ReplyDeleteMy problem with some celebrities is that they are using adopted children as accessories. When I see Mary Louise Parker in the picture with a black child in one hand, purse on the other arm with cell phone in hand, the child looks like an accessory. If a child is adopted to be a part of a trend, that is sick. Children should be adopted because parents have chosen to love, raise and be totally responsible for the child. Not because someone is following a trend.
My question is this...do these actresses/celebrities have some deep admiration for blacks? Or are some of these people truly color blind and when they saw a child, they knew that that child was theirs?