黑洞社区

Love is not enough if you are a white parent of an adopted black child. That鈥檚 the premise behind 黑洞社区 assistant professor Darron T. Smith鈥檚 recently published book 鈥淲hite Parents, Black Children: Experiencing Transracial Adoption.鈥�

Smith will sign books from 5:30-6:45 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16, in the Regents Room of the Rhatigan Student Center. The event, with refreshments, is open to the public.

Smith, an African American physician assistant in the College of Health Professions, authored the book with Cardell Jacobson, a professor of sociology at Brigham Young University.

鈥淲hite Parents, Black Children鈥� examines issues of race and whether white adopting parents can teach their children how to cope with racial discrimination.

鈥淭he research literature is clear,鈥� said Smith, 鈥渢hat when black children grow up in predominately white communities they do unfortunately encounter the sting of racial marginalization.鈥�

Does skin color still matter?

Some researchers cite increasing numbers of transracial adoptions in the United States as evidence the country is entering a post-civil rights era where skin color no longer matters, Smith said.

But racism and the persistence of discrimination remain a factor for many black children of transracial adoptions, and can have a deleterious impact on their mental health.

To always live under the constant threat of being singled out on the basis of skin color can take a heavy toll on the physical body as well, said Smith.

鈥淚f white folks intend to raise black children, they must know that denying or downplaying racial slights or taunts, for example, only adds to the misery their children must feel,鈥� he said.

鈥淏ecause white Americans are least likely to understand racial discrimination and are engaged in raising black children, they must have a real incentive to help their child learn to cope.鈥�

A sense of purpose

Inoculating children of stigmatized groups by instilling in them a sense of purpose and a strong African American identity has positive benefits on the psychological well-being of young people.

Smith further stated that when white parents adopt minority children, they need to be aware of how race constitutes their children鈥檚 being.

One way to help white parents gain the knowledge of racial sensitivity is to surround themselves with a multitude of black friends and mentors, not just one or two tokens.

White parents mean well, Smith said, and love their children deeply. Still, if they don鈥檛 attempt to widen their circle, even considering moving to an integrated neighborhood, they really shouldn鈥檛 adopt black children.

鈥淚t鈥檚 never a question of love,鈥� said Smith. 鈥淭he issue is, can white parents sufficiently humble themselves and do better socially and culturally for their adopted children?鈥�

Smith, whose research area is in minority health, said that in 鈥淲hite Parents, Black Children鈥� he hopes to challenge the concept of a "colorblind" America and offer suggestions to help adoptees develop a healthy sense of self.

A frequent commentator on issues of race, including a New York Times post on transracial adoption and Haiti, Smith also is co-editor of the book 鈥淏lack and Mormon."