Foster Care's Rich Black History

February is a month of love and remembrance.  African Americans come from a history rich with both but in the foster care world these  words can also be a place of pain.  For years history has existed for many predominately in a book, today we live and breathe it daily.  In  2013, we are celebrating the second term of the first African-American President of the United States.   Regardless of which side of the  political fence you lay this is a commemorative accomplishment displaying innate growth and change in our society. Change has expanded everything.  From the everyday things in our world such as telephones  to expectations and desires that we seek.

Small mindedness has historically yielded pain and heartache across all cultures, from the Holocaust to the slave trade.  As a modern day  black woman I find great strength in knowing that I come from such a complex history.  I know that may sound strange but have you never  heard of the statement “There is no place to go but up”?  After being raised by an abusive schizophrenic  I spent eight years in a foster  care system that bounced me from shelter to another abusive home and  that clearly lacked much of the advancement that the child  welfare system currently displays.  It is far from perfect but to even hear discussion of preserving a youth’s culture in placement or that  there even is a “youth voice” of which to speak is a gigantic leap.

In the United States the numbers speak volumes, “In 2011, black children made up 14 percent of all children but accounted for 27 percent  of foster children.”  This quote comes from a recent article by Congresswoman Karen Bass, the founder and co-chair of the Congressional  Caucus for Foster Youth.  Congresswoman Bass also happens to have made history as the first African-American woman to serve as the  67th Speaker of the California Assembly.

I note her accomplishments here to point out her life’s drastic difference from the historical stereotype that has existed for African American women.  I could mention Maya Rockeymoore,  Condoleeza Rice or even Oprah.  They have all encountered varied stereotypes at one time  or another.  And yet, not one has allowed it to define her.  The stigma that exists on the heads of being a foster child is bad enough but if  you add that to the stereotype that exists for being a young African American male or female ( lets not even think if you fall into the LBTQ  category) and you pretty much have an equation for a mess.  Society has taught us to define our identity by what it tells us. From reality TV shows, videos and music to whatever is currently trending on Twitter.  It becomes a vicious cycle of supply and demand.

• If demand increases and supply remains unchanged, a shortage occurs, leading to a higher equilibrium price.
• If demand decreases and supply remains unchanged, a surplus occurs, leading to a lower equilibrium price.
• If demand remains unchanged and supply increases, a surplus occurs, leading to a lower equilibrium price.
• If demand remains unchanged and supply decreases, a shortage occurs, leading to a higher equilibrium price.

These are the rules of “supply and demand”.  When you are dealing with our “youth” and not a “product” the rules simply should not apply,  but I think is you look closely at these rules and  our history that has not been the case.