Last week the government revealed new adoption guidelines that will now make it easier for couples to adopt children from different ethnic backgrounds, and say that race should no longer be a “deal-breaker” in adoption cases. Click HERE to read more about this decision if you missed it.
As expected the release of the new guidelines sparked major debate. Some felt that the new guidelines were a step in the right direction, while others expressed concern that a black/Asian child would lose his/her identity and have no understanding of their culture if placed with a white family.
This past Sunday the BBC’s Big Question tackled the subject matter of inter-racial adoption during a live debate.
Self proclaimed “successful businessman” / delusional Ben Douglas who appeared on the show was adopted in to a white family, describes himself as an English man, has no interest in embracing his culture, and is quoted as saying “it’s ridiculous for me to be running around in tribal gear and trying to cook over an open fire”.
Check out the debate below and notice how those who like myself don’t have a problem with inter-racial adoption, but stress that it is still important for a black child to know about his/her culture and history (for fear of ending up like Ben) are more or less shut down. Yet poster boy for the lost and confused Ben, gets a round of applause every time he opens his mouth.
Even when author Precious Williams gives a rather disturbing account of her experience growing up away from her biological family and culture, nobody seems to want to take on board what she is saying – Ben in particular!
But that’s just typical! There can never ever be a deep, well rounded and honest discussion in regards to race/culture on British television because the media likes to sweep certain issues under the carpet. The Americans debate and confront uncomfortable truths, while the British pretend they don’t exist and succeed in their mission to keep us gullible and mute thanks to men like Ben Douglas.
To quote fellow blogger Lorraine Russell,
Black people especially need to know their culture, simply because we live in a country that goes through great lengths not to inform us about our culture, so therefore its imperative we find out for ourselves and embrace it.
Also click HERE to read a brilliant article written by I am Possible’ which looks deeper in to the situation and HERE to read blogger Lisa Bent’s view on the subject.
Your thoughts please….
MAD NEWS UK 
I agree with Lorraine Russell 100% and would go one step further and say that the Royal Political Elitists of this country go out of their way to place the real history of our people under a very thick carpet and set up millions of land mines so we get distracted on endless foolishness, including false “heritages” aswell as the general fluff put out there to keep us busy with trivial nonsense. Starting black history from the times of slavery is one of these typical red herrings, as if we did not have a rich history before this time.
As for this Ben Douglas character, he is a disgrace to the so called Negro nation and is a typical example of a satisfied slave being brought up in Masser’s island plantation. A typical so called black man in which the formula “self hatred = wisdom” has clearly worked. The other point here is that Mr Douglas is a typical sheep to the slaughter who had no hestitation to put down his guard with the so called European man, the same man who enslaved his forefathers and put our people through utter hell, worst than the foulest treatment of animals, who rinsed the lands of our inhabitants for their resources and is still rinsing the lands of our people and whos system from the days of slavery IS STILL IN PLACE. Doesn’t he know that when he looks at the concrete jungle that he inhabits was built upon the backs of our ancestors? Obviously not. The scriptures spoke about our people derailing into the hand of our enemies. Jeremiah 17:4 reads:
17:4 And thou, even thyself, shalt DISCONTINUE FROM THINE HERITAGE that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not: for ye have kindled a fire in mine anger, which shall burn for ever.
Also Hosea 4:6 reads:
4:6 MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE……………….
It would seem that this cross nationality adoption plan is possibly the strategy in place, to further fracture the so called Negro and further dilute the necessity to seek out and embrace his true heritage as a Hebrew and thus continue in the indoctrination of the culture controllers. The is the same tactic that has been used throughout history, indoctrinate and bring up the children in the “new” regimes and philosophies as they are easier to influence. We are all aware of the Hitler Youth and Obama is doing the same thing with his “youth core”.
This is also part of the “collective” idea, where the individual rights do not count any longer and it is the “group” that all must contribute to. This is also the beginning of the erosion of nations, where we are being taught not to be nationalistic and consider our heritage and our own people, in favour of caring for anybody and everybody around the world. Notice how we are now being told that we are “global”
and “international” through the mainspin media.
I watched the Big Question when it came on. I felt for Precious Williams who wrote the book Precious a true story about the problems she encountered from being whitewashed by her adoptive parents. I think I might just read that book.
Ben did not like hearing what she had to say – it is clear he is culturally disconnected from his race and even Brian ha ha ha from Big Brother has more Black cultural awareness in his bones than Ben Douglas who is a straight up coconut who probably wishes he was not Black hence calling himself English which Precious pulled him up on. If he knew about his culture. Though Bens problem is just down to his parents poor judgement and Ben rejecting what he should have sought and embraced.
I have a friend who was adopted by a white Christian family. Her dad is a Pastor of a big church where I live. Her hair was always styled in canerows and braid extensions for a start and she is so culturally aware of who she is where she is from and where she is going. she did not reject her reflection just because she was raised in a white family.
So I think it can be done as Derek said on the show that wholistically all the childs needs are met.
Ben Douglas is ignorant against his own people and is giving inter-race adoption a bad name. Thankfully I have read blogs by families who have inter racially adopted and they have made it their duty to bring their children up culturally proud and aware. Even the Jolie Pitts give their kids lessons in the language of their birth and stuff like that. I jus do not see why Ben Douglas sees such progress as a bad thing
DEAD @ “…trying to cook over an open fire.”
This is so frustrating to watch – they are just not getting the point that it’s not about being AGAINST inter-racial adoption. It’s about the child being able to have access or learn about their heritage. Some people in this country seem to believe that just because it’s 2011 and we can see ethnic people on TV that there are no longer issues surroundng race and we live in a place that is ‘racially tolerant’ as I’ve heard over the last few weeks (the word ‘tolerant’ in itself even shows how far we still have to go). But it is still an issue; if you polled the ethnic communities in the UK I wonder what the results would be. I make this point because this same debate happened on Channel Five’s Matthew Wright show and a few people called in who were black, were adopted by white loving families but then had no knowledge about their black heritage or were not around people who physically looked like them at all (especially in rural areas – did anyone see ‘Love Thy Neighbour on Channel 4 last night?). Some felt alienated from their white communities because they looked different and were sometimes made to feel that way, then when they finally were around black poeple once they were a bit older, again they felt alienated because they lacked that cultural experience and were unable to relate to people who looked just like them. This needs to be taken into consideration – at least guidelines for the adoptive parents ensure that the child gains this experience.
It’s also not about black people trying to segregate themselves. The UK is a multicultural place and I think cultures should be celebrated as it is part of one’s individual identity. Why should I be told or encouraged or expected to ignore my heritage just because I was born and bred in England?
The old Empire has never liked the idea of us knowing about our history or acknowledging our culture. For hundreds of years the plan has always been to keep us ignorant. And it seems nothing has changed.
Derrick Campbell is so on point!
It’s too bad that he wasn’t allowed to speak a full sentence without someone interrupting him. Like he was trying to convey, interracial adoption is not the issue. The issue happens when that interracially adopted child looks into the mirror and hates his/her reflection. Period. And if you adopt a child and keep him or her blinded from their roots, heritage, and yes, culture you will get one confused, sad and lost adult.
Why did they behave like this world is not composed of many different cultures? I guess in England there is only one and if anyone that speaks of otherwise they’re view as an ungly two-headed beast?
Isn’t culture one of the main things that make life interesting anyway? How boring would life be if we could only get one type of food, music, art, and etc.?
This was frustrating to watch and was due to the fact that the audience was, for the more than the most part, WHITE!! Of course they’re going to agree with everything LOST BOY BEN has to say. Bless him. He’s completely lost and passionate about keeping that way. It is a waste of time to argue with someone that stupid.
Though Precious’ parents meant well I’m sure it was easy for them to blind her without even trying. Yes, children need love and love is a huge piece of the pie, but it is not the only piece…the white audience (or in Ben’s case, white-washed) did not want to hear that.
It’s HILARIOUS that most people around the world think that the US is so progressive when it comes to race relations. As an African American I’m here to say IT AIN’T SO!! Like Precious, though I can trace my familial roots back to 1800s, I don’t call myself American, unless I’m abroad. Which is also the case for majority of African Americans living in the US. It’s not about self-seggregation it’s about us being happy whether we’re “included” or not. It’s about making a way for ourselves and loving ourselves even when we’re told to do the opposite.
Next time you’re in the US, turn on the television, go to see a movie at a theater, go see a broadway show, open a magazine, look at a billboard and you will see a huge lack of multi-racial representation (Side note: research Black Wall Street, Tulsa, Oklahoma to see what American thinks of African Americans). And we’re considered a “melting-pot” by most nations. HA! Laughable at best.
This is SO frustrating to watch. Firstly, Ben needs to realise the diference between British and English. I have lived in London all my life, making me 100% British. My heritage is English, Jamaican and Indian, and I believe these things to be compeltely seperate and unrelated to each other. It is ridiculous for Ben to claim to be English and I personally believe he should have been corrected on techinical grounds. Your passport says british, but your blood says Baijan.
Secondly, tt is dangerous to let this debate focus completely on the needs of a black child to be taught their ‘culture, history’. The real damaging factor in Precious’ case was that her good meaning parents told her her colour didn’t matter, sweeping it under the carpet and making her feel she was being loved DESPITE her skin tone. In reality this needed to be acnowledged at every possible turn. A child needs to have their individualness celebrated, so that difference is seen as good and positive. She needed to have been brought up in an environment where her background was as important as her parents’.
I am a different colour to my mother. I am a differnt colour to my father. Growing up this was never denied, or made into some kind of huge issue, and both my parents’ colour, culture and background are discussed, explored and respected in the same way that we discuss the weather, politics of eastenders. Even the differences between myself and my siblings are celebrated. I think this debate has a LOT to learn from healthy mixed race families – WHY HAS NOBODY ASKED US? Only with a complete acknowledgement of ALL COLOURS will this colourblindess be eradicated. It is not constructive to deny the presence of anything.