Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 26 December 2003 — Page 2

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2003

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ADOPTION ► Continued from Page 1 and couldn’t properly care for the child, so Johnson intervened. “I didn’t want (Brenda) to go back into the system because if so, it would be no telling if she would get adopted, or if someone would treat her right. There are a lot of kids in the system that just stay there... I didn’t want her to be one of those children.” Johnson, who successfully raised her own biological daughter, currently age 28, describes what she had to get adjusted to the most. “Shopping,” she jokingly said. “Things were so different in 1998 when I first got Brenda than they were in 1975 when I had my own daughter. (For instance) rather than buy a baby bed, which automatically came with a mattress and everything else, I had to purchase everything separately. It was a radical change.” When asked when she plans on explaining adoption to Brenda, Montgomery said “when she gets 15 or 16 because I want her to be old enough to absorb everything I’m telling her. Then if she wants to ask her biological mother any questions, she can.” Currently Brenda’s biological mom is restricted from any contact with her. Leonard and Rhonda Anderson decided to adopt their three children after several unsuccess-

“They’re just like a world traveler, they come with a suitcase full of things. When that suitcase opens up, they may have a lot of things going on with them, mostly psychological. You have to be willing to accept them,” Felicia Montgomery, parent of two adoptive children.

ful attempts to conceive. “There ire so many children that need homes. So, rather than live a life without children, we decided to adopt. Doing that enabled us to be parents and it also gave the kids a shot at actually having a chance at life with people that genuinely love them,” said Leonard. Studies show that when an individual or couple adopt a child, an adult may sometimes experience some sort of depression during the adjustment process. Rhonda explains the family’s trying times, but quickly points out that she wouldn’t “call them depressing, more like times of adjusting to the adjustments.” “There were times when things got pretty tough,” said Rhonda. “Generally these children have been through so much, that they aren’t able to open themselves up

to the adoptive parents. This was frustrating to me because I felt as if the children weren’t happy and there was nothing I could do to make it better.” “After I talked it over with some professionals, I understood that it’s hard for a child who may have been physically, mentally, verbally abused or even abandoned - to trust someone new. During those first months, the kids probably felt as if this was something that was going to be temporary, no matter how hard we tried to explain differently.” Rhonda Anderson emphasized the importance of being patient and never giving up if faced with a situation like the one her family went through. Montgomery, who adopted her children in 1998 offers words of advice and encouragement for anyone considering adoption. “Think about it and research. There are a lot of adoption agencies out there, so make sure they are legal. When you research it and decide what type of child you’re willing to accept, don’t go back on that.” “Most important is that you have to have a lot of patience, be open-minded and you have to be willing to accept this child unconditionally.” Note: Some of the name is this article were changed to protect the private lives of the sources.

MUSEUM ► Conttnuetf from Page 1 completed African-American museum by 2008. “The board has been moving along at a pretty fast pace,” said board president Alpha Blackburn. “We would like to have completion with what White River has allowed us.” The museum is expected to be located between the NCAA Hall of Champions and the National Institute for Fitness and Sports. But with a tight squeeze be-

BONDAGE ► Continued from Page 1 answers, evidence and solutions for the endless cycle of self destmetion that seems to be prevalent in both the national and local AfricanAmerican community. Robinson said his approach is not political, religious or even social, but psychological. He believes many African Americans have fallen victim to the divide and conquer policy of slavey as outlined in the 1712 address by slavery advocate Willie Lynch in Let’s Make a Slave. The twin themes of Voluntary Semtudeareself-empowermentand self-sufficiency. “One thing I hope my brothers and sisters get out of the book is that we have to control our own destiny,” Robinson stated in an interview with The Recorder. “Sure, there’s still racism and systematic prejudice, but by us already knowing that, what is the next step? Do we continue to say we can’t get ahead as long as people like George W. Bush is in office? If that’s your take on it you’re always going to stay down because you’re giving him the authoritytokeepyou down. Well, I propose that we say in 2004, that “he or anyone else won’t have the power to keep me down. I’mgoingto empower mysdf. m Robinson continued, “When we give the authority to white racists to control ourviewoflifeorsay it’s their fault we can’t git ahead or get jobs, what we’re saying Is that we can’t live the appropriate life without them or their goodwill, and that’s the mentality of a slave. Sure we have problems, but we can’t rely on the so-called establishment to fix them. You have to fix yourown problems and give the authority to yonrselfto control you. It may lx* a little harder and take a little longer, but it will deliver lasting

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tween the two organizations parking issues arose, and building an underground parking lot was suggested. • “We have produced images for the building and models of what the building looks like,” she said. The types of artifacts that will be placed in the museum have still been undecided, but what is sure to be in the museum is a performing arts center. “We will have a rather substan-

change.” Robinson uses Black-on-Black crime as a major example of how many African Americans push for acquiescence from racist whites instead of addressing the disunity among their own people. “Our so-called community leaders will preach, picket, and protest the veiy moment a white cop shoots and kills a Black suspect,” Robinson wrote. “But whena Blackyouth murders another Black youth daily in America’s urban jungles, these city slick leaders are silent Another topic involves the education of African-American youth. “Weget mad at public schools and lambaste them for not teaching enough Black histoiy, when we as parents should be taking the initiative to teach it at home,” Robinson stated. Throughout the book, Robinson urges African Americans not to separate themselves from whites, but to simply rise up and implement some of the social reconstruction techniques that only they can put in place for themselves. Some of these improvements include rebuilding Black families (or slowingthetrendofabsentee fathers), fighting against negative or stereotypical images of Blacks in mass media, getting Black churches more involved in community building and viewing current political events with a more critical and informed eye. I lealth care and the state of Historically Black Colleges and Universities are also addressed Robiason gives immensecredit to single mothers and uasungcommunity volunteers who “work in the trenches” with troubled citizens everyday. At 113 pages Voluntary Servitude

tial performing arts center in the building because we have such a substantial jazz, blues and gospel focus that a performing arts program was a must for the museum," Blackburn noted. Currently the board is in the process of hiring a fund raising organization to begin the financial steps. “We are excited to finally begin to put this plan into action, for this has been long overdue for the city.”

is relatively limited, and is smaller than even today’s typical suspense or romance novel. All the information was crammed in, Robinson said to appeal to those who are turned offby deep, dictionary-sized books. “In order for African Americans to rise up and take their true place in American society, we must first understand the importance of our education, our spiritual status, our family life, our economic empowerment, and our role in the political system,” Robinson wrote. “We must grasp the concept that these are the areas in which we are weak in. And once we see improvement in these areas, then and only then, will we be able to re-establish ourselves back into the true spirit of our great ancestral heritage and ride the modem Underground Railroad to freedom.” Robinson has a weekly column that appears in The Indianapolis Recorder entitled Education Does Matter, and he’s also a columnist for I ndianapolis Eye News-weekly magazine. He has a criminal jiustice degree with a minor in sociology from Central Missouri State University and an education degree from Indiana University, Bloomington. Robinson’s three previi ius releases were The Black Business Directory of Indiimapolis, The Seven Steps to Student Success, and Black Dreams Do Come 'Due, which featured U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. A father of two, he is currently working on Speak to the People: A Conversation in Black Thought VoluntaryServitude: Breakingthe Chains of Mental and Psychological Slavery can be purchased at XPression Bookstore.