A white couple was critically judged for adopting black children when they could have their own white biological babies. But one day, they proudly proved to their haters that love has no color, leaving everyone speechless.
Love is a universal language, but does it have any restrictions and terms? It is a special feeling that words can’t express and can arise for anyone or anything at any time. But is that unique feeling bound to certain appalling stereotypes around a person’s skin color?
The answers lead to a free-spirited Iowan couple, Dale and Kay, who were open to the biracial family concept in the 1970s. But the world around them was not very kind when they adopted a six-week-old black baby boy. So, they were determined to prove to their critics that love has no color. And this is how they did it.
THE FIRST ADOPTION THAT SPARKED HATRED
High school sweethearts Dale and Kay married in 1969. They had long desired to raise an expansive family, but the couple had no children even a year after their wedding.
Their first horror was when a group of boys rode their bikes to them and hurled rocks, saying, “GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM!”
Dale and Kay, 19 and 21, couldn’t wait any longer to have a baby in their arms. They decided to raise their family through adoption, which was not common in those days. Shortly after, they adopted a biracial baby boy named Matt. But after Matt came into their lives, the world started seeing them differently.
PREGNANT WITH A WHITE BABY
Although the newbie foster mom’s parents warmly welcomed their adopted grandson, her in-laws criticized the adoption. Her father-in-law needed slight warming up to the whole biracial family concept. At the time, his wife even warned him, saying:
“If you don’t stop this behavior and accept that beautiful baby into this family, you will lose your son and never see him again.”
Though the father-in-law took some time to accept the truth, he eventually began to love the baby boy and stopped seeing him as an outsider. But things took a different turn when Dale and Kay fell pregnant two years later. They were undoubtedly expectant with their white baby.
SIBLING LOVE
When Matt turned two, his parents welcomed his white sister, Carrie Korkie. She was a beautiful pale-skinned baby girl with blue eyes and blonde hair.
Conversely, Matt had cocoa-toned skin, brown curly hair, and big brown eyes. But these visible physical differences never came in the way of their sibling love.
By Carrie’s first birthday, her parents had decided to expand their brood once again. Shortly after, they adopted another biracial baby girl who was just two weeks old. But was the world kind and appreciative of their decision? Well, not really.
DEALING WITH NEGATIVE CRITICISMS
Carrie’s little sister Chris mirrored their older brother Matt’s looks in her beautiful brown skin. Dale and Kay were thrilled about their expanding biracial family. But the world around them began expressing some unpleasant comments. Carrie recalled:
“Everyone asked my parents, ‘If you know you can have your own kids, why would you adopt again? Look at that beautiful little blonde baby you made! Why would you adopt another biracial child?!'”
The parents were disgusted by such hurtful statements. They couldn’t understand why others were so bothered about their babies’ skin tones. Eventually, Dale and Kay wondered “why not” add another baby to their family.
HAVING ANOTHER CHILD
When Carrie turned two a year later, her parents welcomed another baby girl, Sarah, who had pale skin, blonde hair, and green eyes. Over time, the four siblings amassed attention wherever they went.
“People would stare in wonder at the four of us, never quite sure what was going on,” Carrie recounted.
Although nothing came in the way of how the four saw each other, their lives went in separate ways after their parents divorced six years later. The split brought some new changes to the racially diverse family setting. And it only worsened the criticisms the children faced in public.
STALKED BY RACISM
Carrie moved from Des Moines to the small town of Davenport in Iowa with her mother and younger sisters. Unfortunately, this part of the town was profound for racism. The three sisters were often bullied and humiliated for no reason other than the differences in their skin color.
Their first horror was when a group of boys rode their bikes to them and hurled rocks, saying, “GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM!” When their mother learned about this, she was furious. She followed the gang’s ringleader to his house and complained about him to his mother.
But at the end of the school year, she took her three daughters and moved out of town as the criticism and bullying never ceased. Eventually, Dale and Kay married different partners and had two children from their second marriages. But did that stop them from amassing more negative attention over the racially diverse family they raised?
TAKING A STAND AGAINST CRITICS
Carrie had siblings who were biological, biracial, adopted, and even step. Although their sibling group may be confusing to many, they always ensured to stand united against their critics. Yet, an incident during Carrie’s second younger sister Sarah’s graduation photography stood out.
The oldest four siblings, both biracial and biological, called themselves the “Original 4.” Their photographer was baffled by seeing the original 4 in front of the camera. “She asked, ‘What IS this?!’ as if we were running some sort of circus,” Carrie recalled.
Their mother angrily chimed in, saying, “These are my children!” The mom never spared even those who slightly smirked at her children. Several years passed, but did Carrie’s family stop dreaming of having more racially diverse children? Well, not exactly!
MORE RACIALLY DIVERSE FAMILIES
Surprisingly, the siblings grew up to raise biracial families of their own. For instance, Matt and Carrie married their Caucasian partners, while their younger sister Chris married an African-American man.
As time passed, their family photos had gotten more beautiful and diverse. Surprisingly, the younger generation they raised was broad-minded about the biracial family concept. And the incident during a casual chat was proof.
One day, Carrie’s mom was candidly talking about adopting more children. Her 8-year-old twin daughter Emily interrupted and looked at Carrie out of the blue and asked, “Which one of your sisters is adopted, mom?” The family was instantly amazed by that one innocent question. It indicated that the younger generation was not focused on the differences in skin color.
LOVE HAS NO COLOR
“I asked my daughter, Emily, ‘Who do you think is adopted?’ Her response was, ‘I don’t know.’ My heart could have almost burst with love and pride. She didn’t see them as colors but just as a family. Period,” Carrie recounted.
Today, Carrie Korkie and the rest of her family take immense pride in their blended, racially diverse family. Their togetherness and positivity proved that love is what matters…not the skin color!
“I’m very proud to be part of a family that saw no color or difference in their brothers and sisters, who would stick together through all the staring and judgment,” proud mama Carrie expressed.
If you were the couple in this story, how far would you go to let the world know that a person’s skin color does not define love? Why do you think people should stop focusing on differences and learn to love everyone equally? Love is a universal language, but is it fair to differentiate people by skin tone?
Click here to read about how an adopted black kid had the most beautiful answer when a boy asked why he had a different skin color from his parents.