The American press echoes the story of an African-American couple who, after adopting white twins, have revealed that they regularly face racist comments, including accusations of kidnapping.
From Pennsylvania, Jennifer McDuffie-Moore, 43, and her husband Harry Moore, 37, were initially scheduled to temporarily foster Brayden and Trevor, whose biological mother suffered from drug addiction.
Pennsylvania black couple accused of kidnapping adopted white children https://t.co/OsbguyheN7 pic.twitter.com/a265pV0CPz
– New York Post (@nypost) August 10, 2021
A preschool learning specialist and in charge of a child care program, Jennifer has been housing children in their homes with Harry, a civil mechanic, since 2009.
The couple also have two biological children Joy, 21, and Kourtney, 11, as well as two other adopted children, Keenan, 10, and Sanchez, 8.
“As for Brayden and Trevor, we said they could stay with us until they found a home, but time passed and they were almost a year old. By doing so, our entire family, my nieces and our church also welcomed them and we finally began the adoption process, ”Jennifer explained to New York Post.
Unfortunately, this humanity and this love very quickly faced racism and prejudice. A woman reportedly threatened to call the police when the two young children became angry on a playground.
“I hugged the children and she thought she was kidnapping them. One of the twins said, “No, it’s my mother!” I don’t want to justify myself, because people should take care of their own business, ”says Jennifer.
And if she and her husband say they have faced the challenges of transracial adoption since 2016 when they adopted Keenan, who is also white, they say these setbacks are more common and intensified after George’s murder. Floyd and in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
However, the couple can no longer imagine their family today without the twins. “These are our children. Instead of looking at our color, people should understand that it is love that sustains a family, ”Jennifer and Harry said together.