A white TikTok influencer couple that posts under the username @happilyevansafterr faced backlash after making videos about the adoption of their Black son, Abriel.
According to Daily Mail, parents Ashley and Steven Evans adopted Abriel in 2019.
But after the couple documented their adoption journey on TikTok, commenters asserted that the Evans family will not be good parents to Abriel because they will not be able to raise a strong Black man.
In a video that now has over 3 million views, Steven Evans reacted to the negative comments with a TikTok on June 19, also Juneteenth.
“Being the White father of our adopted Black son, people often comment and tell us that we won’t be able to raise him to be a strong Black man someday,” Evans said.
He told followers that they should go adopt a child if they are so concerned with who is adopting children.
“There’s so many kids of all ages and races who need adopting. [And] If that’s something that you’re not willing or able to do, reach out to people like me,” Evans said. “Message us and show us love.”
He finishes the video by calling for people to work together rather than trying to tear them down.
“It takes a village, guys. Reaching out to me and messaging me and letting me know that you’re there for me will change his life a lot more than just telling me that I can’t do something,” he said.
On the viral video, some TikTok users left positive comments supporting the family.
“Hey I just wanted you to know that LOVE UNCONDITIONAL LOVE will make him a strong man,” user @sandrabrady57 said.
“It’s not required to raise a strong black man, it is required to raise a strong, compassionate, honorable man,” another user added. “I have confidence you can do it.
Ashley Evans told the Daily Mail that while she and her husband recognize that Abriel is Black, they do not choose who they love based on skin color.
“We acknowledge he’s Black and that there’s a difference between us, but it doesn’t mean we love him any less,” Ashley told the Daily Mail. “It’s really sad that people are trying to segregate children. We’re all fighting to be equal, and people are still striving for the opposite of that.”
Update 9:06am CT, July 5: In a statement to the Daily Dot, the Evans family condemned racist hate on social media.
“When we say, ‘Love sees no color,’ this doesn’t mean that we don’t acknowledge color—it simply means that we don’t love anyone less because of the color of their skin,” the family’s statement said. “Abriel may not look like us, and he may not share our same DNA; however, he will always be our son, and our love for him is unconditional!”
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H/T Daily Mail