think of it as the opportunity of a lifetime

Renee reports that Madonna is preparing to adopt another Malawian child, this time against the wishes of her grandmother.

I don't have much to add to what Renee said (or what Nezua said). I understand that there are millions of children who need homes, but there is just something unsettling about white people going into Africa and Asia and choosing children. Good intent aside, I just can't get past the history of colonialism, privilege (money & white skin > family & cultural ties), and all the "civilization" arguments.


Renee's post included this sentence:

Don't think of it as stealing foreign adoption, think of it as the opportunity of a lifetime

It reminded me of a conversation with my friend, Fran. I love her dearly, but she is very much on the "U.S. is superior to all else, especially Africa" kick. We used to argue all the time--she could excuse slavery, could deal with white supremacy, she was just glad "we" weren't in Africa.

Of course, pointing out to her that "we" would not have been if millions of people had not been brutalized, did not help.

So, we went to an art exhibit in Houston that featured works showing life in different African countries. Life, not the ever present images of death and destruction.* She did express surprise that there were people living in Africa.

But then she said, "I'm still glad our ancestors got on that boat."

So, the middle passage was the opportunity of a lifetime.

I have not broached the conversation since then.
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*I do not mean to downplay the importance of bringing attention to war and disease (especially AIDS) in Africa, but that I think images of those are used to portray Africa, Africans, and the Diaspora as "less"--civilized, developed, human--with no regard for historical or contemporary context.