NOVEMBER is National Adoption Awareness Month

R&B Great Anthony Hamilton Speaks Out for Children

R & B great, Anthony Hamilton

The National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Association selected GRAMMY Award-winning R&B recording artist Anthony Hamilton to serve as a national spokesperson for the organization.

Hamilton will work to recruit African American male volunteers for the national nonprofit organization.  He will also represent CASA at national child welfare conferences and events around the country to raise awareness of the growing number of African American children in the foster care system.

Today, there are more than 70,000 CASA volunteers who advocate for more than 230,000 children in the foster care system.  In the United States, more than 152,000 African American children are in the child welfare system, with boys representing more than half of the children in foster care; yet there are only 8,400 African American CASA volunteers.

Jill Jacobs, Executive Director of Family Builders in Oakland, CA states, “Having an adoption role model, as well known as Mr. Hamilton, will be invaluable to both African American families considering adoption and youth waiting to be adopted.”

I spoke to Hamilton about this meaningful appointment as a national spokesperson for CASA --

Sandra Varner (Talk2SV): How has this new role changed your life?

Anthony Hamilton: My life has changed because I am now responsible, not only for my children, but to help out other children who are in need of care and a stable home environment. I thank God for CASA; they have proven for many years now that this is what they’re about and the integrity of it is in the right place.  I am a part of that and in that respect, I have to get people on board who I think can help with outreach.  We want to  and bring people to the table; make them aware so they can have an opportunity to do the same thing that I’m doing through music and word of mouth.  We all are going to do it.

Talk2SV: The statistics of children in foster care, especially African American children are alarming.  How does this fact affect you personally?

Hamilton: Well, I know what it feels like for a fact. The experience of needing something or someone and them not really coming to your aid at the time you really need them most. I’m just here to encourage people not to wait so long to do something for somebody else. It not only helps them, it helps you. A lot of us have been scarred one way or another, or seen somebody scarred, and we [not] only carry our own weight, we carry somebody else’s pain.  Now is the chance to do something for somebody and really making a difference. I know we have the slogans and all that stuff, but now it’s time to get dirty and really do it.  I’ve been talking about doing something, giving back, and the opportunity or the right program wasn’t right. I think this (CASA) is amazing for me, I love doing it.  I love kids. I can see myself doing camps, all kinds of stuff, and I’m ready, so let’s rock.

Talk2SV: You have alluded to and it is unfortunate that some people of color are slow to the notion of adoption.  What is your comment about that?   

Hamilton: Well, I think the thing with adoption, for some of us, and for some people that need to adopt, is they might feel ashamed when are unable to birth their own child. I think that the stigma and hesitancy behind it all is a thing of feeling less than, a woman or a man; that you have to go outside and seek help whether it’s adopting or through fertility treatments, or whatever.  I think our community has been of the belief that, ‘you got to wait on the Lord.’  That’s good, but God kicks up avenues to complete our day and adoption is one way to help if you can’t conceive on your own.  There are many kids who need shelter and a home and love.  I think bringing awareness to adoption and making it cool to do it is a good thing, it’s not a negative thing.  We fear that we don’t have enough means to take care of our own so how are we going to take care of another kid? It doesn’t take that much if you plan and put some money in the right place, it doesn’t take a lot; it just takes budgeting and being aware that you have more overhead and more responsibility.  But it’s do-able.

Talk2SV: You bring up some good points about the perception of what it takes to raise children.  I agree, however, on the flip side, you’re a successful recording artist.  Your means are different from many others.  For families with fewer financial resources, what do you want to tell them?

Hamilton: I’ve been on both sides. I wasn’t always a recording artist, that didn’t happen until I was in my late 20’s and I had already started fathering a child.  At age 17, I was able to do it; I was cutting hair and feeding my child and making sure he had everything he needed so I know it’s do-able. I want to let them know [that] the more you get, the easier it can be but you can have a lot of money and not spend it in the proper place and still be in trouble.  It’s all about your planning and what you allocate your money toward. There is a financial challenge when you’re not making as much but I think if you can do it, there’s assistance to help people.  You have to look into these programs that will help you with fostering a child.

Talk2SV: You are the father of three sons.  Given your experience as a loving and present father, in what ways do you look to direct your sons as they grow up in the image of their dad?

Hamilton: Well, one thing that I don’t want them to do is have children out of wedlock like I did. I want them to stay pure as long as they can, focus on their careers and focus on setting their life up the way it will run automatically, at some point.  I want them to become independent and be able to feed themselves, take care of themselves and to be able to give back to somebody else.  I want them to know that it’s not all about ‘you’ just wanting to get where you need to be.  It is also about helping anybody else because there comes a time when the seeds that you sow are going to come to harvest; you want to sow and make sure that it wasn’t all in vain, it wasn’t all selfish.  I want them to be lovers: to love and have passion for what they do in life. How they feel toward other people and family is so important.  I want them to make sure that they protect the family and be healthy --mentally, spiritually, physically, emotionally-- just to do well all the way around.

Talk2SV: You were raised in the south and your family calls South Carolina, ‘home.’  What is your comment about being raised in the south and the perspective that upbringing provides in raising children?

Hamilton: I think southern living is an easy, more laid back approach to life and definitely, the church foundation is so important.  It (the church) puts that faith in God in the place where it should be. I also think  we have a chance to enjoy the natural things in life like trees and grass; things that allow you to reflect back on how God is and how beautiful life can be. During family gatherings and reunions, you have a chance to commune with one another and it allows you to feel that love for family.  I think many times in the city, you have some of that, but it seems like everybody’s going his or her own way and it’s just a faster pace. 

Talk2SV: You use words that paint a clear picture when you talk about feeling, passion and family. It seems you are well-suited for your role as spokesperson for CASA. 

Hamilton: As long as I’ve been alive, everything up until this point has been preparation for me being a part of CASA. I think God knew it before I knew it.  All that I’ve been through created this path for me.   When talks started between my agent, CASA, and myself, we felt like it was a perfect marriage because they knew my story.