I'm Black And I Was Adopted. Amy Coney Barrett Wants To Save My Life

Amy Barrett’s name became a trending topic recently after the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, when she was named the top pick from a list of nominees created by President Trump. Barrett is presently serving as a Judge for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, and, if she’s confirmed, she would become the fifth woman to serve on the Supreme Court, joining Elena Kagan, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Sonia Sotomayor.

A Judge Who Wants Women To Not Lose Hope 

Abortion is an often emotionally charged and hot topic, and Democrats have already decided Barrett would set women’s abortion rights back, but the reality is — as a black woman myself adopted by a white woman — that the opposite is true from where I sit. The Democrats see their pro-abortion message as health care for marginalized women, but the reality is, if my biological mother, who was 14 years old and living in Chicago, had aborted me, then I wouldn’t be able to explain to you that they’re actually advocating for people like me to be aborted — before we even have a chance to say we would like to be alive.

If my biological mother, who was 14 years old, had aborted me, then I wouldn’t be able to explain to you that they’re actually advocating for people like me to be aborted.

We all come to this earth one way, and we all find our way, and that’s an individual path no one can judge at the beginning of a chapter. 

Barrett and her husband adopted two children from Haiti, who, without her kindness, would be who knows where. They might have been adopted by a loving family, but the reality is, Barrett took it upon herself to support those children and the women who chose to let their children live. Barrett described the state of her adopted daughter Vivian at the time of adoption: “She came home when she was 14-months-old, and she weighed 11 pounds, and she was so weak we were told she might never walk normally or speak. Today, Vivian is a track star, and I assure you she has no trouble talking.

Barrett and her husband nurtured their adopted child back to health, which is far better than what Hillary Clinton did for a single child who was displaced from the 2010 Haiti earthquake. In any abandoned child system, so many wind up in orphanages or foster care, where they often receive subpar medical attention and often stay foster children for years, getting jostled around and never really connecting to human love. This developmental time is crucial, and many children are adopted too late. Barrett gave two young Haitian children a foundation, not only for growth but also the ability to feel compassion after being separated from their biological parents.

Barrett gave two young Haitian children a foundation, not only for growth but also the ability to feel compassion.

With all the racial tension in today’s society and the race clickbait style headlines, it’s easy for people to see a headline and not the person or the family the person loves. Adoption is not easy, and neither is deciding to give up a child you carried for nine months. Amy Barrett’s nomination certainly comes at a time when conversations around adoption are needed as the world ponders over-population and as the single mother’s struggle for stability gives a talking point to pro-abortion rights activists.

Good Moms Require Empathy and Respect

Have you seen Vivian Barrett’s braids? From where I stand as a black person, African American culture and hair are one and the same, so the fact that Vivian’s hair is done in this manner is a sign of her mom’s respect for her. Taking the time to learn how to do the hair of a child that’s not your hair type takes patience, empathy, compassion and love. I wasn’t always given that same respect in my adoption to a white woman, and it’s wonderful to see Barrett take pride in her daughter's appearance, especially with her hair because hair is something no one can take away from you. What we can all see is a mother who truly cherishes her daughter.  

African American culture and hair are one and the same, so the fact that Vivian’s hair is done in this manner is a sign of her mom’s respect for her.

Closing Thoughts

Trusting people we have never met certainly takes a lot of faith and a period of time, however, it’s easy to see, by the way her daughter is excelling academically and in sports, that Barrett is not some monster who hates women. I would trust her to use the same discernment and care with America as she does with her daughter.

So before you judge Amy Barrett on sensationalized headlines, or conservative values, take a moment to research a woman, a mom, and an American, who has fought for women in court and rescued a young girl in need of a safe home, who will most likely grow up to be healthy woman who thrives in society. You don’t get more pro-women’s rights than that.