What better gift for a child who might feel different than a doll who shares her story? A well-made doll can help children feel that the way they are is beautiful. If you really want a doll that will reflect your child, right down to the freckle, birthmark, or adaptive equipment, you have several new options. Dolls Like Me carries a variety of dolls, including biracial African-American/Caucasian and Latino/Caucasian. There is also a line of poseable figures from African-American history, such as Benjamin Banneker and Harriet Tubman. My favorite item was a jigsaw puzzle depicting a ballet class featuring dancers … Continue reading →

Why not use your shopping dollars to help people in your child’s country? Fair trade catalogs such as A Greater Gift (formerly SERRV) feature handicrafts that enable artisans to support themselves. From jewelry made by polio victims in Africa to ornaments and housewares from Chile, Guatemala, Vietnam, and India, this site has a small toy section with wooden puzzles, knitted finger puppets, and a large musical instrument section, a large furniture/dishes/table linens/home décor section, and accessories such as mittens, scarves, caps and hair ornaments. They have a range of inexpensive gifts such as candleholders or desk accessories or earrings. They … Continue reading →

A survey of 405 adult transracial adoptees (conducted by the TransRacial Adoption Group, which is upfront about being “committed to promoting transracial adoptive placements as a viable form of adoption”) found that 97 percent of participants agreed with the statement that white adoptive parents are capable of developing a positive sense of cultural identity in an adopted black child, 86 percent did not believe that preference should always be given to an African-American couple when both a black and a white family were interested in adopting a particular black child, and 93 percent thought it was not necessary for agencies … Continue reading →

The National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) issued a statement against transracial adoption in 1972, excerpted below. “Black children belong physically and psychologically and culturally in black families where they can receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future. Only a black family can transmit the emotional and sensitive subtleties of perceptions and reactions essential for a black child’s survival in a racist society. Human beings are products of their environment and develop their sense of values, attitudes, and self-concept within their own family structures. Black children in white homes are cut off … Continue reading →