What’s race got to do with it?

Loving homes are important for adoptive children, regardless of the race of the adoptee. But recent articles from the Brookings Institution and America Magazine have called into question whether race is a more important factor when matching a child with their adoptive parents. Particularly, they suggest that white parents adopting black children can be damaging. Should adoption be determined by race or by merit? What are the consequences of limiting adoption to only racial matches?

 In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by Malka Groden, adoptive mother of two young children and deputy director of development at the Manhattan Institute, to discuss the importance of transracial adoption. As Malka, Naomi and Ian reveal, science and scholarship suggest that love wins out over racial differences when offering any child a stable home where he or she can flourish.

Resources:

Abby Johnson’s comments about her adopted Black son are problematic. Here’s why. | Brookings Institution

White parents adopting Black kids raises hard questions. We can all learn from them | America Magazine

Show Notes:

01:05 | Is it problematic for a white family to adopt a black child?

03:10 | Loving adoption over the foster system

06:55 | Building genuine relationships with diverse communities

08:25 | Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 prioritizes loving placement over race-based placement

12:05 | Science affirms need for attachment, regardless of skin color

15:30 | Traumas felt by all adoptees and biological children, due to imperfect parents