A white mother who was heard telling her adopted black daughter to wear a bag of rice on her head because “it’s in her blood” has defended her comments after being criticised online.
Kaylee Wilson, who has four daughters, two of them black, has justified her comments by saying that “they are proud to be African.”
“We spent over two years living in various African countries learning the culture and spending time with the people,” Wilson wrote in a follow-up post on her Instagram alongside the African flags of Ghana and Nigeria.
“They don’t take offense and LOVE that we are part of their culture. We can’t wait to move back to Lagos soon!”
A white mother posted a video in which she can be heard telling her adopted nine-year-old black daughter, Wella, to wear a bag of rice on her head because “it’s in your blood.”
Kaylee Wilson, pictured, who has four daughters, two of them black, appears to have justified her remarks by saying that “they are proud to be African.”
Wilson’s words came after she posted a video of her nine-year-old daughter, Wella, struggling to balance a bag of rice on her head while shopping at a store.
“Put it on your head, like an African,” Wilson begins.
“Come on, come on. You have to know how to do this. It’s in your blood,” he says as the young woman struggles to place a 9kg bag of royal basmati rice on his head.
The girl could be heard saying “ouch!” as she felt how heavy the bag was.
A caption appears above the video that reads: “We will do more training when we get to Nigeria.”
The video then shows Wilson attempting to perform the same task and he also notices the heavy weight of the sack of rice as he attempts to place it on his head.
The couple have four daughters, two of them adopted, and are planning to have a third.
Wilson defended his actions in a subsequent Instagram post.
“Oh, it’s so heavy! Oh my God!” she says out loud before walking down the hall with the weight on her.
Online commentators were not impressed with Wilson’s choice of words towards the child she adopted in 2016 and were harsh towards her.
“It’s in your blood, it wasn’t nice to tell him that,” wrote one user.
“If this is what you film voluntarily, I wonder what happens in privacy,” another added.
“You have no shame. That poor baby deserves so much better. I pray she finds a loving and caring family like she deserves, instead of being repeatedly EXPLOITED by the so-called ‘family’ that adopted her,” wrote a third.
“The fact that you don’t know why your words are insensitive tells me everything I need to know… the historical context goes way beyond people being ‘offended’ or ‘sensitive,'” another commented.
“This is SO disrespectful, even if she is African, since when does she have any of her culture in her blood? Carrying a bag of rice is NOT in her blood!” one follower stated.
Commentators were not impressed with Wilson’s choice of words when he told his daughters “It’s in his blood” when he asked her to wear a bag of rice on her head.
The family plans to return to Lagos, Nigeria, for another six months later this year.
Wilson then attempted to parade through the warehouse with the bag of rice on his head.
“I’m AFRICAN and I live in Africa and my parents have NEVER made me carry a heavy bag on my head. According to you, carrying heavy bags on your head is in our blood, it’s evil,” another scolded.
In another recent social media post, the family revealed that they plan to adopt a third baby from Africa later this year.
The family will move to Nigeria for at least six months while paperwork is completed for their new adopted son.
“We have realized even more in recent months that fostering children is our primary calling: to seek out the children God shows us and bring them back to our home to be healed, loved and raised in our family,” Wilson wrote.