Reviewed by C. Chekejai Coley
Bil Wright takes on the complex issue of transracial adoption in When the Black Girl Sings (WBGS). WBGS is about an eighth-grade African-American girl named Lahni who was adopted by white parents who are, incidentally, in the midst of a separation. Throughout the book Lahni is witnessing the downfall of her parent’s relationship and is struggling to deal with their inevitable divorce. This is compounded by the anger that she feels for her adoptive father, Tim, while trying to be a support for her mother Ursula. In this time she is also confronted with a white boy’s taunting and his perverse attempts to get her attention. To add to the challenges Lahni is also working on a singing competition in school.
Overall, Wright’s work gives some credence to the idea that despite racial differences there can be some level of success in transracial adoptions. There are some things, like a mother’s desire to protect her young, to be affirmative of them, and to encourage them that are just human expressions of love. All of these things come into play in the relationship between Lahni and Ursula. Even during the turmoil of the separation from her husband, Ursula assures Lahni of her love and commitment to her. Alternately, Wright also highlights the social and personal challenges of children in these arrangements and the inability of parents of one race to truly nurture a child of another race through a “color-blind versus color-conscious.” In the color-blind approach to raising Lahni she often recognizes her displacement because she is often misunderstood by those closest to her.
Lahni lacks exposure to African-American culture in virtually every area. She does have an expressed desire and need to connect with others more like her and is unable to come to terms with who she is as an African American in her predominantly white settings.
Ursula decides that she and Lahni should attend church—in part because she thinks that Lahni may be able to meet some other African-American youth. The church they attend is nondenominational and although the congregation is racially mixed, the choir is predominantly black. There are no other African-American youth for Lahni to meet but miraculously, she experiences a turning point during the service when she is moved by the choir’s rendition of “Amazing Grace.” She finds some inspiration and is prompted to then join the church choir.
The book falls short in some areas. In many ways it’s predictable, non-progressive, and it reinforces stereotypes about blacks. For example, although Lahni wears Afro puffs as an assertion of herself, she refers to her hair as “woolly.” Woolly is a term that is often used by those who have accepted the negative reference to the hair of blacks (it falls along the lines of “peasy.” “nappy,” “bad” and other like terms). It was also used quite a bit in Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Another limitation in the book is the introduction of the idea of homosexuality where the choir director, Marcus, is concerned. When Lahni first meets him she surmises from his attire that he may be gay. There is never a real examination of his sexual preference and the relationship that develops between Lahni and Marcus is purely musical. The mention of his sexual orientation is almost pointless.
Ultimately, although there are constant reminders of race throughout the book, there is no real resolve for Lahni in this area. In the end she has no positive exposure to black culture—not even through the church experience. She does expand a little socially through her relationship with the church choir, but there is no real development in terms of gaining racial or cultural understanding. What tends to be sad to the point of tragic in the book is that she doesn’t develop any real relationships outside of the realm of music.
As expected, Lahni does win the competition—a “happily ever after,” anti-climatic and predictable finish. While singing the song “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” during the competition, she has an epiphany of sorts. She comes to the conclusion that she has been “divinely” protected and gathers a cerebral understanding of protection by a higher force. It is as if the musical experience coupled by the cerebral understanding of protection by a higher power supersedes the prevalent issue: Race. But even her musical odyssey does not bring her much closer to a real understanding of herself. Though the songs have been sung, and quite well, by blacks in black churches, the songs “His Eye Is on the Sparrow” and “Amazing Grace” are not actually African-American spirituals. One of the songs was written by an enslaver—the other, also written by whites, is often played at funerals. Did someone die?