Patricia Beede of Rhode Island, an adoptive white mother of a 13-year-old daughter, Nicole, who is African American:
鈥淚 was driving Nicole and some of her friends around. We passed by a group home, and Nicole鈥檚 best friend said, in kind of a mocking way, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 where those group home girls live.鈥� Nicole spoke up and said, 鈥楾here鈥檚 no such thing as 鈥榞roup home girls.鈥欌�� She then explained that those who live in group homes aren鈥檛 responsible for their situations and that living in a group home doesn鈥檛 define them. 鈥淚 was proud of Nicole. I once bought her a button that says, 鈥楽peak up, even if your voice shakes.鈥� She put that button on, and I can honestly say that I believe that鈥檚 how she tries to live her life. She gets it, I think.
