CPS and Black Child Welfare Reform Policy Must Be Part of the Black Agenda.
We finally have strong reparations for FBAs movement which continues to gain steam everyday thanks to the B1 family I believe that its time that we include the child welfare system. With the candidacy of individuals such as Marcel Dixon and others who are running on a pro-Black and reparations agenda, I want to make sure that we aren’t leaving out the immensely harmful and detrimental institution that is CPS. With countless Black families permanently affected and impacted by the child welfare system it should be part of both the conversation and the Black agenda. The systematic and ongoing harm that CPS has inflected upon Black families is unmeasurable and undeniable. However, the number of activists, advocates and politicians (including those running for elected office) including CPS in a serious Black agenda is almost non-existent. The reasons for this aren’t exactly clear but based on my own experiences here are a few. One, is the fact that most of our attention has been devoted to criminal justice reform. Two, few of us want to talk publicly about our experiences with CPS (over half of all Black children would have had at least one CPS invitation sometime in their childhoods). Three, the child welfare system is hidden and simply isn’t as popular a subject to protest as police brutality or even reparations itself.
Ignoring CPS Is No Longer Acceptable
I and many others have written consistently about the lifelong and devastating damage to Black families that CPS has caused (Check out Prof. Dorothy Roberts books Shattered Bonds and Torn Apart). There is no doubt that CPS is a white supremacist system which specially targets and destroys Black families so much so that it is considered modern-day-slavery. According to a recent article by Time and featuring Prof. Dorothy Roberts , 1 in 10 Black children are removed by CPS in the US. Far too many of us that are pushing for reparations and various other issues included in the standard Black agenda have neglected to even mention CPS. Again, I understand some of the reasons why. After all, CPS as it relates to Black folks, is an issue that is not often publicly discussed and certainly not on the level that it should be. I know that Black people are being murdered every day in this country. Yes, we should be doing everything within our power to end this travesty and yes criminal justice (including the #AbolishThe Police/#DefundThePolice movements) should be a part of ANY Black agenda. However, anyone familiar with CPS and how it continues to negatively impact Black families would say that CPS also deserves to be a part of the Black agenda and any relevant conversations due to the sheer amount of systemic damage that this racist system has brought into the lives of countless Black people. The #AbolishCPS, #AfricanAmericanChildWelfareAct and #RepealASFA movements should be a part of the Black agenda full stop.
Anyone Serious About Black Empowerment Should Be Serious About CPS
Black empowerment is what we live and breathe in the B1 family. It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves whether it be FBA (which is my preferred term), DAS, ADOS or DOS, we are all here because we are B1. And as such we are pushing for reparations because we are long past due, and I completely agree. One reason that I have spent years fighting CPS of behalf of Black families and doing so without monetary support of any kind is because I truly care for and love my people. But I am tired of seeing our people suffer in silence. I'm tired of seeing our families targeted and children forcefully adopted out to mostly white strangers (white celebrities are infamous for adopting Black children and treating them like pets, I’m looking at you Charlize Theron). Tired of crying on the phone with the many Black parents that I have freely mentored who have wrongfully and unjustly lost their children. It’s been so many that I lost track a couple of years ago. Many of us are left permanently damaged by CPS (I myself suffer from PTSD and it is so common amongst Black families that have had contact with CPS that several studies have come to the same conclusion) and it will NEVER end until we make #AbolishCPS, #RepealASFA and the #AfricanAmericanChildWelfareAct a significant and prominent part of any Black agenda including the reparations agenda. We must push this issue just like we push criminal justice reform because they are two sides of the very same coin. Both kill and destroy our families.
As founder and president of the NAFPAorg, I challenge and urge any elected official (past, present and future) who wants my full support and the support of child welfare affected Black families to make radical CPS policy a part of your platform. I am more than happy to assist any such individuals with proven pro-Black child welfare policies.
We finally have strong reparations for FBAs movement which continues to gain steam everyday thanks to the B1 family I believe that its time that we include the child welfare system. With the candidacy of individuals such as Marcel Dixon and others who are running on a pro-Black and reparations agenda, I want to make sure that we aren’t leaving out the immensely harmful and detrimental institution that is CPS. With countless Black families permanently affected and impacted by the child welfare system it should be part of both the conversation and the Black agenda. The systematic and ongoing harm that CPS has inflected upon Black families is unmeasurable and undeniable. However, the number of activists, advocates and politicians (including those running for elected office) including CPS in a serious Black agenda is almost non-existent. The reasons for this aren’t exactly clear but based on my own experiences here are a few. One, is the fact that most of our attention has been devoted to criminal justice reform. Two, few of us want to talk publicly about our experiences with CPS (over half of all Black children would have had at least one CPS invitation sometime in their childhoods). Three, the child welfare system is hidden and simply isn’t as popular a subject to protest as police brutality or even reparations itself.
Ignoring CPS Is No Longer Acceptable
I and many others have written consistently about the lifelong and devastating damage to Black families that CPS has caused (Check out Prof. Dorothy Roberts books Shattered Bonds and Torn Apart). There is no doubt that CPS is a white supremacist system which specially targets and destroys Black families so much so that it is considered modern-day-slavery. According to a recent article by Time and featuring Prof. Dorothy Roberts , 1 in 10 Black children are removed by CPS in the US. Far too many of us that are pushing for reparations and various other issues included in the standard Black agenda have neglected to even mention CPS. Again, I understand some of the reasons why. After all, CPS as it relates to Black folks, is an issue that is not often publicly discussed and certainly not on the level that it should be. I know that Black people are being murdered every day in this country. Yes, we should be doing everything within our power to end this travesty and yes criminal justice (including the #AbolishThe Police/#DefundThePolice movements) should be a part of ANY Black agenda. However, anyone familiar with CPS and how it continues to negatively impact Black families would say that CPS also deserves to be a part of the Black agenda and any relevant conversations due to the sheer amount of systemic damage that this racist system has brought into the lives of countless Black people. The #AbolishCPS, #AfricanAmericanChildWelfareAct and #RepealASFA movements should be a part of the Black agenda full stop.
Anyone Serious About Black Empowerment Should Be Serious About CPS
Black empowerment is what we live and breathe in the B1 family. It doesn’t matter what we call ourselves whether it be FBA (which is my preferred term), DAS, ADOS or DOS, we are all here because we are B1. And as such we are pushing for reparations because we are long past due, and I completely agree. One reason that I have spent years fighting CPS of behalf of Black families and doing so without monetary support of any kind is because I truly care for and love my people. But I am tired of seeing our people suffer in silence. I'm tired of seeing our families targeted and children forcefully adopted out to mostly white strangers (white celebrities are infamous for adopting Black children and treating them like pets, I’m looking at you Charlize Theron). Tired of crying on the phone with the many Black parents that I have freely mentored who have wrongfully and unjustly lost their children. It’s been so many that I lost track a couple of years ago. Many of us are left permanently damaged by CPS (I myself suffer from PTSD and it is so common amongst Black families that have had contact with CPS that several studies have come to the same conclusion) and it will NEVER end until we make #AbolishCPS, #RepealASFA and the #AfricanAmericanChildWelfareAct a significant and prominent part of any Black agenda including the reparations agenda. We must push this issue just like we push criminal justice reform because they are two sides of the very same coin. Both kill and destroy our families.
As founder and president of the NAFPAorg, I challenge and urge any elected official (past, present and future) who wants my full support and the support of child welfare affected Black families to make radical CPS policy a part of your platform. I am more than happy to assist any such individuals with proven pro-Black child welfare policies.
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