Systemic Injustice

The Connection to AAFPA, Village Arms, and Systemic Injustice

The story of Roman and Gianni’s fight to be reunited with their family is not an isolated case. It’s deeply connected to the broader, systemic issues that disproportionately affect Black families in the U.S. These injustices have roots in a long history of racial bias in family law, child welfare, and societal structures that undermine Black families.

This is where the African American Family Preservation Act (AAFPA) and Village Arms come in—initiatives designed to combat these very injustices, ensuring Black children are not unnecessarily separated from their families, and that Black parents receive the support they need to maintain their bonds with their children.

What is the African American Family Preservation Act (AAFPA)?

The AAFPA was created to address the disproportionate removal of Black children from their homes and to promote culturally relevant family preservation. It focuses on the need for family reunification, cultural identity preservation, and reducing the racial bias that often leads to Black children being placed in non-Black homes through foster care or adoption.

This initiative was created because, for decades, Black families have been separated at alarmingly higher rates than white families, even in cases where keeping the child with their biological family was a safe and viable option. The AAFPA pushes for legal and social frameworks that keep Black families together, respecting the cultural significance of those family bonds.

Village Arms: A Lifeline for Black Families

Village Arms is an organization that McKenzie has worked closely with during her career as a Social Worker and advocate for family justice. Village Arms focused specifically on supporting Black families in crisis—ensuring that they were not only given the chance to stay together but that they were provided with the culturally specific resources and support to thrive as a family unit.

Unfortunately, the very work that Village Arms did to uplift Black families faced immense backlash. The program was unfairly criticized by those unwilling to recognize the systemic racial bias that underlies many of the decisions in child welfare. Accusations of “reverse racism” were used as an excuse to shut down the program, despite the critical role it played in protecting Black children from unnecessary displacement. The program’s closure was a devastating blow, not just to McKenzie and her colleagues, but to the countless families who relied on Village Arms for support.

The Larger Systemic Issues at Play

At the heart of the fight for Roman and Gianni is the same issue that the AAFPA and Village Arms sought to address: the systemic bias that works against Black families, particularly Black fathers. Black parents, and especially fathers, are often marginalized by a legal system that assumes they are less capable of raising their children than their white counterparts.

This bias is evident in cases like ours, where despite being a committed and loving father, Dante has faced countless barriers to maintaining a relationship with Roman and Gianni. The legal system, swayed by the outdated and harmful stereotypes about Black fatherhood, has made it easier for white guardians to take control of Black children’s lives, even when their biological families are fighting for the chance to keep them.

The systemic issues include:

• Racial Bias in Family Law: Black families, particularly Black fathers, are often viewed through a lens of suspicion and are more likely to face harsher rulings in custody and visitation disputes.

• Disproportionate Removal of Black Children: Black children are removed from their homes at disproportionately higher rates, often placed with non-Black families, which can strip them of their cultural identity.

• Cultural Disconnect in Child Welfare: When Black children are placed in homes that do not reflect their cultural heritage, they are often denied the chance to understand their roots and grow up with a full sense of who they are.

Our Fight is a Fight for All Black Families

Our fight to reunite Roman and Gianni with their family is about more than one custody battle—it’s about standing up to the larger system that continues to tear Black families apart. The AAFPA and Village Arms were created to fight this very battle, to ensure that Black families are given the support they need to stay together, and that Black children grow up knowing their identity, their culture, and the love of their families… for every Black family that faces the threat of unnecessary separation due to systemic bias.