Ebony and Ivory
A black family with one baby boy already decided some day to have another baby. Everything went well, but after giving birth to a second son, something extraordinary happened which made everyone in the theatre room fell silent. The healthy newborn is white. The couple has no doubts what so ever about infidelity, and they recognize his features as their own. Raising this white child might challenge the parents as people may wonder why they have a white baby and the little boy might ask questions himself growing older. They parents worry, because children can be cruel or other people might think that this white child is a friend of their black son, or even adopted. And what box should he tick when he is asked to fill in ethnicity? In the family history it is rumoured that one of the great-great-great-grandmothers has given birth to a white child too, but there is no prove.
Personal comment:
I think this is a remarkable story and if I were the husband, I would really have my doubts; for some time at least. Their love for each other must be very strong to immediately believe that this is nature and not infidelity. And what a challenge they are facing; being a black couple with one black and one white boy. I think they will have to explain a lot and probably have to defend their child, because people might not believe that he is really their son. And I can only image how this might affect the relationship between the two brothers. In today’s society it is often an advantage to be white and I wonder if at one point in their life the two brothers will have to deal with discrimination and prejudice and how this might affect them, being born of the same parents.
Every now and then there is a story of a white born baby from black parents or the other way round. It does happen, of course. Only a few genes have to be mutated or turned on or off and that is it. Why this happens one does not know yet, but I expect biologists know more about this in a decade or two.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenDuring my high school I did learn there is a chance of a black couple giving birth to a white boy. Strange but true. One time I even saw a picture of a twin, one white, the other black. I do not remember whether the parents were white or black, I think white. As you mention it can become hard for the whole family to keep explaining and ‘defending’ themselves. I do think the advantages of the white people are decreasing and are becoming more equal with the black people.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenThis is really a particular story which I have seen on television not so long ago. I agree with Teuni that as a parent I surely would doubt at first whether this is really my child. Has there not been a situation of misunderstanding in hospital? Of course, in future painful misjudgement can and will do happen, but I know for sure that this family and new born child will get stronger in their life to cope with these things. It is not the end of the world, maybe this child will function as 'a bridge from the black to the white world', who knows .......
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