Losing Isaiah Page #6

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Is this policy

unique to your agency?

No.

Most if not all

agencies prefer

to place a child with a family

of the same racial background.

Hmm.

Given the facts in this case

as you understand them,

what would be

your recommendation?

That the child

should be returned

to his birth mother.

Thank you.

No further questions.

Dr. Goldfein, you've stated

that your organization

is opposed

to interracial adoptions.

Does that mean you never

place black infants

with white couples?

Oh, no. We do this all the time,

but these are temporary.

These children stay temporarily

in the white home

until a suitable black family

comes along?

That's right.

How long does that take?

It can take years.

And the child is then

wrenched from the only family

they've ever known...

and turned over to strangers

because of the color

of their skin?

It's the long-term

interest of the child

we are trying to protect.

Well, wouldn't

you say

you were putting

political policy

above the emotional

health of these children?

No.

All things being equal,

the black child is better off

with black parents.

All things being equal.

Well, what if all things

are not equal?

Miss Jones, I am sick and tired

of the attitude that says

that taking poor

black children out

of their environment

and placing them

in an affluent household

is better for the child.

What kind of values

does that suggest?

- How much time do you got?

- Not much.

How about lunch?

No.

Look, no strings

or nothing.

Would you leave me alone?

I can't give them nothing

to use against me in there,

or I'll lose my boy.

I don't want to do nothing

to hurt your chances.

Why didn't you

answer my letters?

'Cause I didn't open them.

I cannot talk to you.

I want you to know something.

I filed for a divorce...

and I'm coming back

when I get it.

Okay, I just wanted to say that.

You said it.

Mrs. Lewin,

does Isaiah play with dolls?

Sometimes.

Any of them black?

Yes.

And some of them are green,

and some of them are purple,

and some of them are orange.

It doesn't seem

to matter to him.

He plays with all of them.

As you know, Mrs. Lewin,

people don't have green

or purple or orange faces.

When you and Isaiah read

together,

do any of the books you read

have African-American characters

or pertain to African-American

history or culture?

We read Isaiah all sorts

of books in our home.

Oh, I'm sure you do,

but is there a black face

in any of them?

For instance,

have you read

The Planet of Junior Brown,

or The People Could Fly,

or Many Thousand Gone

by Virginia Hamilton?

Not yet.

Well, how about The Red

Dancing Shoes by Denise Patrick

or Faith Ringgold's Aunt

Harriet's Underground Railroad

in the Sky?

Not yet.

Or maybe your husband

has read him Fathers and Sons,

or Uncle Jed's Barbershop

by Margeree King Mitchell.

No, I don't think so.

Well, who do you think

he identifies with, Mrs. Lewin?

The orange-faced muppet?

Does he share

its muppet history?

You ever stop to think

how Isaiah must feel

living in a world

where he never sees

anyone like himself?

Might be kind of troubling,

don't you think?

Well, what's your point,

Mr. Lewis?

That our skin isn't

the right color?

That we're incapable

of teaching this child

what he needs to learn?

That I can't raise Isaiah up

to be an honorable man

because my skin is white?

What about love?

You haven't even spoken

that word here.

Or doesn't that fit

into your equation

of black and white?

And what about Isaiah?

How does he fit

into all of this?

Or is it more important

that we be

politically correct?

What we should be thinking

about here...

is what is going to happen...

to the spirit

of this little boy...

if he's...

taken away from us.

So, what you're saying is,

you're his only hope.

What I'm saying is,

we are all he knows,

and if you take him away

from us, it'll kill him.

Oh.

So only you can save him.

You're the great white hope.

No.

But I am his mother.

Are you?

Sh*t.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Higher, higher up. Faster.

Vroom, vroom!

- Vroom!

- I'm going to tickle you.

I'm going to tickle you!

BI-bl-bl-bleah!

Make it go really high.

Mom, is that you?

Hi, honey.

Mommy, Mommy!

Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!

Mommy!

Oh... there's my boy!

There's my boy.

Oh, little boy-o.

Mmm...

Mommy!

See you later, Mom.

Gonna tickle you!

Gotcha.

Hello?

Khaila, the judge has asked us

to be at the court at 11:00.

Okay. Bye.

All rise.

This branch of the Circuit Court

of Cook County

is now in session,

the Honorable Renata Silbowitz

presiding.

Be seated.

This was not an easy decision.

I have decided to return

the child, Isaiah,

to his biological mother.

When the mother is capable...

and I believe Miss Richards

is functioning well enough

to parent this child...

it is usually

in the child's best interest

to be with his natural mother,

especially when there

is a racial issue involved.

This may cause

some initial trauma,

but Isaiah is young...

We're just going

to take him away.

...and should be able

to deal with this...

Out of the state,

out of the country.

...if the adults conduct

themselves thoughtfully.

- No.

- Oh, why not?

Our jobs can move.

We'll go to California.

You always wanted

to go there.

No, Charles.

Well, we're going

to appeal.

No!

It's over!

What you doing?

I said, "Nothing."

You a dinosaur?

I'm coming.

What you doing?

Nothing.

Isaiah?

Come on, honey, it's time to go.

Let's get your jacket on, okay?

You're going to see

Khaila now... remember?

I told you about her.

You're going to live

with her, Isaiah.

And then I'm coming back.

No, honey, you're

not coming back.

I coming back.

No, Isaiah, wait, wait!

Wait a minute.

Here.

Look.

This is Mama's.

I want you to keep it, okay?

No matter what happens.

I want you to know that

we're always together...

that I'm always with you...

inside you, in here...

just like you're

always with me...

in here, all right?

And nobody...

can ever change that.

You promise you won't forget?

Hey, kiddo.

Hannah?

Kiddo?

Isaiah.

Isaiah, this is the lady

that's going to take you

to Khaila's house, okay?

Hi, Isaiah, you want

to come with me?

It's going to be all right,

Isaiah.

Let me just take

him, all right?

I swear it'll be all right.

- It's going to be all right.

- No.

Why don't you just

let me take him?

It'll be better,

and you'll get used to it.

Why don't you just let me

take him, Mrs. Lewin, okay?

I promise you

it'll be all right.

- Let me just take him.

- No!

Mr. Lewin, this isn't helping.

And you are?!

Let me have him.

- Just a minute.

- Mommy!

Just a minute!

Just a minute!

Just a minute!

Well, what about his things?

They're not his things now.

Tell her he has to have

a light on to sleep.

Hi, Isaiah.

You scared? Don't be scared.

I'm your mama...

and I ain't gonna hurt you.

I know what it's like

to be scared.

That's why I'm gonna give you

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