minding a black baby

Juliette's family lived in an intolerant white supremist district and when her mom took pity on a young black single mother and offered to mind her baby without charge while the girl worked and got on her feet, Juliette saw the evil side of human nature pitted against the saintly nature of her mom.

"I was about eleven at the time," says Juliette, "and I remember coming home from school one day and finding a baby pusher in the kitchen."

"I knew that mom didn't know anyone with a baby," explains Juliette, "so I was a bit surprised - but nothing surprised me more than looking into the pusher and finding a little black baby!"

"She was the cutest thing you could ever see," enthused Juliette. "And when mom told me about the dire circumstances the baby's mother was in and how she'd offered to mind the baby for her while she worked and had saved enough to pay for a permanent placement for the baby, I thought mom was a saint."

"Mom had spent her lifetime helping others - mostly people referred to her by her pastor," explains Juliette, "but it was the first time she had brought anyone home and got personally involved."

"Mom explained that the baby's mom was in real trouble and didn't need money as much as she needed someone she could trust to look after her baby for a while."

"I didn't press mom for the details but I think it had something to do with child abuse - which is why the girl preferred my mom rather than anyone else to help her. I suppose she just didn't trust anyone in her own family - and that must have been terrible for her."

"From then on, I just couldn't wait to get home from school and play with the baby," laughs Juliette. "She was a gorgeous child and never cried - she just smiled and cooed and made us so happy."

"I first became aware that my mom was in trouble when a neighbor stopped me one day and asked me what on earth my mother was doing minding a black baby."

"I told mom what the neighbor had said to me and mom admitted that even the women at church had scorned her."

"Dad wasn't too happy with the situation, either, but he never stopped mom from doing what she felt was right."

"And then the anonymous hate calls and letters arrived," sighs Juliette.

"Mom didn't flinch," adds Juliette. "All that hate made her more determined to do the right thing."

"We had the baby for about two months and then one day I came home from school and she wasn't there."

"Mom told me that the mother had come early and taken the baby away - saying that she had found a permanent placement in a nursery - and for a while I believed her."

"Afterwards, I wondered why the mother never left her new address with us or made an effort to contact us. It didn't seem in character with her. Surely she would want to let us know how she and the baby were?"

"When I pressed mom for an explanation, she told me that she wondered about the situation herself."

"I don't think mom had lied to me," says Juliette, "but I'm pretty sure that someone had lied to her."

"I never discovered what really happened, but I think someone put pressure on the girl to find someone else to mind her baby, and probably told her not to contact us ever again."

"Why else would she disappear so quickly without saying goodbye or leaving a contact number for us to remain in touch?"

"The cruelty and unfairness of that incident preyed on my mind so much that I vowed that when I grew up I'd do something to help single moms and put a stop to racism," says Juliette, "and I'd like to think that in my welfare work I've done just that."