Can a racist grandfather raise a biracial child?

A reader of The Root — a website that bills itself as a source for “Black News, Opinion, Politics and Culture” — wrote in seeking advice on what to do about his father, who, along with his mother, is raising his biracial niece. While he notes that his father is a great father and grandfather, he also tends to make racist comments around his niece, which he believes she is picking up on.

Fordham University Center for Ethics Education Director Dr. Celia B. Fisher was quoted in the article, saying that negative racial stereotypes cause harm through “micro aggressions.” Fisher defines micro aggressions as “the everyday racially insulting and demeaning language and actions that white people may not be aware they are inflicting.” She is concerned that this will lead to feelings of anxiety, low self-esteem and a sense of personal inferiority that will affect the writer’s niece in subtle and not-so-subtle ways.

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To read a piece by CNN on the adoption of African American children by families in the Netherlands, please click here.