Why Charlize Theron’s Adoption of a Black Baby Is a Good Thing
South African actress Charlize Theron recently adopted a new baby boy named Jackson. The 36-year-old actress made it known that she wanted to be a mom, even without a ring, back in a 2008 interview and recently made the leap.
But what’s special about Theron’s situation is that she adopted a black baby…from America.
Unlike other celebs who have trekked to Africa, Haiti, Cambodia or another Third World locale to adopt a child, Theron’s baby is from America, which is kind of a big deal.
The statistics facing African-American children in the foster care system are daunting. Of the half of million children in foster care, 40 percent of them are black. Moreover, if they aren’t adopted while they are babies or toddlers, many times black children remain in the system until they age out. A 2010 New York Times story highlighted the difficulty African American children face.
“Caucasians and Hispanics are consistently preferred to African-Americans. The probability that a non-African-American baby will attract the interest of an adoptive parent is at least seven times as high as the corresponding probability for an African-American baby,” the NY Times reported.
And if the child is a black boy, odds are even higher they won’t get picked.
Theron isn’t the only celebrity to adopt a black American baby. Sandra Bullock and Viola Davis also adopted black children, but unfortunately, they aren’t the norm.
While many are often times critical of white celebrities who adopt black babies from poverty stricken nations, hopefully Theron, Bullock, and Davis’ adoptions will open up a very serious dialogue about the need for adoptive homes for African-American children.
Well, I am sorry to say, but this worries me. Her being South-African Dutch and all. Is she really equipped to teach and love a black child? This could be a train wreck waiting to happen. Also the Sandra Bullock adoption worries me also. She was married to a Nazi and it was ok with her, until he cheated! I truly hope I am wrong.
You just said eveything nobody wanted to touch.
Ditto. Based on her background, I thought Charlize adopted a white baby until I saw this post on Clutch!
@CAramel Beauty
You know all those black children in the system arent there because of the love and care they were given by their black parents, many of whom were abusive, neglectful, using drugs, pimping them out, etc. Why raise the standard for how to raise black children when the mother is white? Why not call out some of these abusive and neglectful black parents? Really brave to fix your mouth to say something about a woman who had no moral, legal, or social obligation to adopt a child and to adopt a child from a group that typically languishes in the system until they are kicked out on the street at 18, instead of calling out these black parents.
Put up or shut up!
@ QoN,
Caramel Beauty brings up a very valid point, I don’t know why you are giving her the option of either putting up,-just so, or shutting up-I mean, c’mon, she makes so much sense, silencing her would be a disfavor to the Clutch masses out thurr!
And Black women take in and raise children all the time. It is never recognized because it is generally done on an informal basis because the chidren are not in the system. Let us praise those women. Many, that certainly would have more money and time if they did not step up to the plate. For every Ms Theron, there are several Black women from around the way taking care of a child that is not hers.
@Laina
Those women do deserve praise. They are oftentimes taking care of relatives and paid quite well for it. Still I commend any person willing to care for a child with no parents. There isnt a religion on this earth that doesnt protect the orphans and praise those who care for them.
@ QoNewC
I am sorry, but this is another myth that surrounds foster care. You don’t get paid well off off of foster care.
@befree
It isnt just the cash. Its also about the subsidization for other life essentials that are available. I didnt say these foster parents were rolling in money.
Actually, since Charlize is not an American, her decision to adopt an African American baby is part of an ongoing trend of foreigners adopting African American babies.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1027/p11s01-lifp.html
that was such an interesting read. thanks for posting.
i always forget how good csm can be, esp. for international reporting.
@isolde
I speak from experience when I say that Haiti is one of the most difficult coutries to adopt from. UNICEF is a huge muck up and there are no standardized practices. Any government can just come in and change the rules. It may be a lot easier to adopt from the US. I would prefer to adopt internationally though. Thanks for the article. Good read.
She became an American citizen in 2009 I believe.
i think this case is wonderful because the other option would be for the child to stay in care for a long time. i wish black people adopted kids more, if they did then i would understand why people would be against her adoption. On the other hand i really don’t like people like Madonna, her care is completely different because she did everything but buy the child, the child had a family that could not afford her so instead of helping the child’s family financially she took the kid.
I guess if we don’t want our little black babies to grow up in foster care and/or be adopted by white families (that inherently will struggle to teach them about being black), then we need to do a better job keeping our babies out of the system.
For some people, birth control is cheap or very free; abstinence is absolutely free. Unless the child is the result of rape or abuse, we can impact this. Raise your kids right so they don’t have to give up unwanted babies. Adopt a black baby or child yourself. Help out in your community. Teach black youth to read/excel in school so that they have more to look forward to than having sex. Address drug use and mental illness in your own family.
We can’t continue to ignore/talk about our problems without any action then throw our hands up when white people take care of what we obviously couldn’t take care of.
@Shania11
How will they have difficulties raising their children to be black? How do you raise a children to be black?
The same way a black person couldn’t raise a French baby to be French. The same way a Chinese person couldn’t raise a Japanese baby to be Japanese. It’s culture. Values. Inherent traits that make an ethnic group what it is. There are no books that can teach this. It’s natural. It’s family and history.
If you are black and adopted by white people who’s family is white, friends are white, relationships and social life and expectations and jokes all exude white, what will you learn about being black (outside of stereotypes and the media)? Will you even want to identify with being black? Will you grow to hate yourself because you look a certain way but your world (the one constructed by your family) looks a different way?
I’m just saying – if people have a problem with whites adopting black children, take care of your home and make sure your family doesn’t add to the growing number of black babies in the system.
The same way a black person couldn’t raise a French baby to be French. The same way a Chinese person couldn’t raise a Japanese baby to be Japanese. It’s culture. Values. Inherent traits that make an ethnic group what it is. There are no books that can teach this. It’s natural. It’s family and history.
If you are black and adopted by white people who’s family is white, friends are white, relationships and social life and expectations and jokes all exude white, what will you learn about being black (outside of stereotypes and the media)? Will you even want to identify with being black? Will you grow to hate yourself because you look a certain way but your world (the one constructed by your family) looks a different way?
@Uralee
I think you need to reread your comments. They are patently ridiculous. A black person born and raised in France is more French than a white Anglo Saxon born in New York. You and I have far more in common with a white American person than we do with a Nigerian or Zambian culturally, socially, politically, religiously etc. Maybe you need to get out more.
“f you are black and adopted by white people who’s family is white, friends are white, relationships and social life and expectations and jokes all exude white, what will you learn about being black (outside of stereotypes and the media)?”
Black folks arent immune to stereotypes of black folks especially blacks outside of America. There are no such things as black or white expectation. Black and White Americans share a culture that is very similarly and where we diverge has more to do with class than anything else.
“Will you even want to identify with being black?”
I would already be black.
“Will you grow to hate yourself because you look a certain way but your world (the one constructed by your family) looks a different way?”
Girl, you really need to get a grip. What world would white parents be constructing that a black child would find it so hard to navigate through? Its people like you that keep kids rotting in foster care, rotting in orphanages in developing countries because organizations like UNICEF listen to you rejects and decide that they would do everything they can to keep kids hold up in a disease invested, insect ridden, vulnerable, underfunded, orphanage because being raised by white parents would be a far worse fate. Why dont you trade places with one of these kids. Doubt you would.
“Girl, you really need to get a grip. What world would white parents be constructing that a black child would find it so hard to navigate through? Its people like you that keep kids rotting in foster care, rotting in orphanages in developing countries because organizations like UNICEF listen to you rejects and decide that they would do everything they can to keep kids hold up in a disease invested, insect ridden, vulnerable, underfunded, orphanage because being raised by white parents would be a far worse fate. Why dont you trade places with one of these kids. Doubt you would.”
_____________
Wow you really blame me for A LOT! Last I checked, Theron’s baby is from the US, not another country so I’m not sure about what you’re talking about with UNICEF and developing countries. I’m talking about white Americans adopting African-American babies. I’m talking about black people taking care of their families so less children have to be in this system and get adopted by white families at all.
I’m saying flat out that white people will struggle (it’s not impossible) to raise black children to know/recognize their blackness.
It’s people LIKE YOU that are okay with black people and our rich culture disappearing until there’s nothing left.
Lets just clarify the situation. She adopted an American child, not an African-American child. There is no such thing unless one is born in Africa and becomes a citizen of America. I am from Bronx, New York and was raised in a very diverse place. WHat worries me is people asking how a white person can raise a black baby due to the differences of culture. Are you friggin kidding me. WHat culture is this/ American culture? Be happy the baby has a home. He will be loved, schooled, not to mention a crapload better off then the rest of us!!!! Unless you are raised in a bubble, you come across different cultures all the time. Idiotic posts that make me just think racism.
I have to agree with Uralee. A good friend of mine was adopted by a white couple. In collage he struggled with self identity and culture shock it was crazy. We all band together and helped him through it but he still has problems today. So yes it does affect you psychologically if your not exposed to people who are like you. Yes my friend is one but out of many.