PHOTO: a newspaper's print edition illustration and layout for an opinion page piece by Rick Settersten, Oregon State University Professor of social and behavioral health sciences, "White Dads, black kids: Close encounters of the racist kind," Sunday Oregonian, Aug. 11, 2013, p. B8 and published online as "Race is personal for two white dads with two black kids: Guest opinion" oregonlive.com posted Aug 10, 2013. (Note: author's OSU address is Richard A Settersten, Director, Hallie Ford Center, Oregon State University Public Health and Human Science (Source: directory.oregonstate.edu accessed Aug. 12, 2013))
Oregon State University Prof. Rick Settersten's poignant and personal descriptions of the intersecting social issues of sexism, homophobia, and racism in America caught the attention of even the most jaded readers this weekend:
"Our family is uniquely positioned to have social adventures others cannot. That's partly because there are two dads and partly because there is no mother. But it is especially because we are two gay white dads parenting two black children, a daughter and a son, now 13 and 10. Both were adopted as toddlers out of the foster care system.
"I want to get personal about race, for this much I know: Race is real and tangible, not an abstract concept. And the racism that comes with it permeates our lives: . . .
- It is in the home-seller who happily accepts our money but then walks the neighborhood to apologize: Not only is a gay couple moving in, but they also have a couple of black kids. There go property and community values. . . .
- It is in progressive-minded people in Oregon, where we now live, who want to believe that race does not or should not exist. And it was in the people of Cleveland, where we once lived, who know better. . . . .
OSU Prof. Rick Settersten's implication, that his mixed-race family with two dads caused the person who sold him his house to indirectly warn neighbors about declining property values, is ironic because letters to the editor of the local newspaper have been more worried about declining property values due traditional neighborhoods being converted to student housing, which brings noise, parking issues and other nuisances associated with college student rental housing.
See previous post Businessweek puts gay marriage on page 69, OSU gay widow, also Wayne Dynes reflects on changing goals (7/22/13 and also see:
- Rick Settersten, Oregon State University Professor of social and behavioral health sciences,Rick Settersten, "Commentary, A Patchwork of Rights, Gay Couples are still left out," Los Angeles Times, July 6, 2013, reprinted in Portland, Sunday Oregonian, July 21, 2013, p. B9
- Rick Settersten, Oregon State University Professor of social and behavioral health sciences was previously featured in the article by Bill Graves, "Oregon State University professor describes why today's youth take a slower path to adulthood," The Oregonian, December 23, 2010 "Author of many scientific articles and several other books, including "On the Frontier of Adulthood." Family: He and his partner of 25 years have a daughter, 11; son 7."
- Richard A Settersten, Director, Hallie Ford Center, Oregon State University Public Heatlh and Humman Science (Source: directory.oregonstate.edu accessed Aug. 12, 2013)
