While reading the September 1999 issue of Social Work: Journal of the National Association of Social Workers, I came across an article entitled "Symbolic Interactionism, African American Families and the Transracial Adoption Controversy". It was written by Leslie Doty Hollingsworth PhD, the assistant professor in the school of social work at the University of Michigan. The article claims that by using symbolic interactionism, it can be seen that African Americans are a unique and distinct cultural group and therefore adoption of African American children by families of a different race should only be allowed as an absolute last resort. I object strongly to this proposition and plan to use symbolic interactionism to show just the opposite.
             In the fall of 1972, the National Association of Black Social Workers passed a resolution about trasracial adoption. It was written, "Black children should be placed only with Black families whether in foster care or adoption". In my opinion it is ridiculous to put conditions on where a child up for adoption can and cannot be placed. These children have already left the ideal and cannot be with their birth parents. To limit their possibilities for a full and happy life further is cruel and unreasonable. It would be great if every child up for adoption could be taken in by people with a similar racial background to the birth parents, but that is not always the case. A child should be placed in a home in which they will be provided for, regardless of skin color. Would the people of the NABSW rather an African American child give up a chance at a good life just because the people who want to give it to them have different ancestors? The next line of the resolution reads " Black children belong physically, psychologically and culturally in black families in order that they receive the total sense of themselves and develop a sound projection of their future". ...