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“Same, Same,” said Amber-Rose pointing at her dad’s forehead and hers when she heard me asked what they would tell her if one day she asked why was she different.
I was surely surprised that the little girl was listening to me while I loaded her parents with questions. And what a beautiful response she gave.
In the world of 3-year-old Amber-Rose, race was non-existent.
In the year since she was adopted by Zeldene and Brent Grimsley the little one is rooted in her parents’ heart.
“The only thing she needs to know is that unlike other children she was born from mommy’s heart not her womb,” said Brent with a smile.
Both Zeldene and Brent come from an Afrikaans background in Bloemfontein which has made the news for being the centre of racism controversy. Nobody thought they would go and prove the racial stereotype wrong and adopt a black child.
“When we moved to Durban we were exposed to different cultures and races for the first time and we loved it,” said Zeldene.
She said that although they had found out that they could not fall pregnant they always wanted to adopt after they had their own children. Knowing that in South Africa there were very few white children up for adoption, this means they have never seen race as boundary.
“It was very awkward to bring up the conversation about adoption to the family, but we eventually did, everyone came through for us,” said Brent.
“God choose her for us, and we love her so much”.
“We see no colour, she is no different,”
There is only one race which is, “the human race,” said Zeldene.
Zeldene and Brent said they were planning to adopt a second child soon to bless Amber with a little sister or brother.
Written by Mbalenhle Sithebe (MOJO) for the #RacismStopsWithMe campaign, an initiative by Independent Media and Sactwu
