“Should adoption be colour-blind?” This was the question on The Big Questions this morning. It was an insightful though one-sided debate riddled in serious self-defence and closed ears. Two black people had encountered two very different experiences being raised by white adoptive parents. Both came from loving households but the impact on their identity had different outcomes. Precious Williams explained how her adoptive parents saw no differences and treated her as their own. She felt inclusive though felt totally disconnected to her ‘race’ and culture to the extent that when she saw black people, the mirror image of herself, she would hide.
Ben Douglas on the other hand had a good experience to the extent that he was unable to put himself in Precious’ shoes. He totally disregarded her experience and I felt it for her. He came across strong and unaffected though to me he seemed lost and unaware of the deeper levels Derek was trying to explain. Each individual will have different experiences and each experience and therefore expression is valid. However Nicky Campbell and the audience seemed only able to side with Ben, which was an almost utopian rose tinted view. Why?
‘Race’ is hard to look at; it always has been and always will be. The truth however is that racism, discrimination and prejudices exist within the society we live in, further evidenced in the fact that we have equality laws and policies, therefore the door on this discussion cannot be closed when talking about adoption as the problems within society will naturally reside here also.
Yes, every child in care should be housed within a loving family, no one is denying this is of a high importance but so is the acknowledgement of difference. These acknowledgements should not be seen in separation. The complexity of ‘race’ is vast and heavily influenced by colonialism, entangled in false beliefs, projections, introjections, anxiety, fear, guilt and shame. The term colour-blind I feel serves as avoidance and a defence mechanism to mask looking at the full complexity of the issue. The issue of ‘Race’ stems way beyond racism, there are many aspects to look at which never get the attention it deserves and so’ race’ always stops at digestible perimeters.
There have been many published materials specifically on white/black relations, where awareness of difference and diversity, racism and socio-political history and the importance of racial consciousness have been highlighted, however this knowledge never seems to transcend to other areas. There is value in findings which are taken, not only from the voices of those who have been in these situations but also the knowledge of the part history has to play and the affects on a psychology level on individuals. There are numerous documents in psychology that support my strong feelings why the colour-blind approach has no place in adoption which the government would be well advised to look at in order to put holding and ethical systems in place.
Notes:
Recent developments in the analysis of DNA, confirms that the concept of ‘race’ is a constructed one, with no objective basis in biology. This concept as well as the notions of ‘Black’ and ‘White’ was imposed by the colonial powers. Rustin (1991) said, “It is both an empty category and one of the most powerful forms of social categorization” (Rustin, p.57). I have refered to ‘race’ in apostrophes to acknowledge the emptiness of this prescribed category.
Rustin, M. (1991) Psychoanalysis, racism and anti-racism. In the Good society and the Inner world. London: Verco
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