Meet Theo Jefferson. An EMT who grew up in foster care and has aged out of the system. He is very much in love with Monica but stress is put on their relationship due to their differences of opinion about adoption.
This film was a lot of first for me. Being a lead in a film, a love interest in a film and understanding the foster care and the system. The first two I've been prepping for the last 20 years so had no problem there. However, I had no background information about foster care and how the system works.
These are the four books that were referenced throughout filming this project:
Ashley Rhodes-Courter: Three Little Words: A Memoir
Cris Beam:
To the End of June: The Intimate Life of American Foster Care First Edition
Dorothy Roberts: Shattered Bonds: The Color Of Child Welfare
Nefertiti Austin: Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America
Aging out of foster care is a term used when a child is in foster care but doesn't find adoptive parents before they turn 18. After 18 to 21 years old, they are on their own. Among the other things that I've learned, these kids go from foster home to foster home, most of the time these kids are abused physically and mentally. Especially children of color.
I have never met a foster child or parent but It must have been an uphill battle to overcome all of the physical and mental abuse for those who now have families of their own.
The one thing that stood out to me between all the books was that all that the children needed was someone to be there. To have an identity, to belong. The problem is that once you get older, that yearning to belong, to have an identity isn't filled just because you get older. More often times, these people seek to fill that void it by other means. Joining a gang, staying in an abusive relationship, etc.
This one was hard to shake but an important story to tell. Thanks to Lifetime Network for telling the story, this way, with this crew and cast. 👏🏾👏👏🏻👏🏼👏🏿
Thanks to Larissa Mair casting for putting together this amazing ensemble and my Amazing agent Monika Thomas at Creative Drive Artists for all the love and support.
Enjoy and Educate ❤️
Color Of Love Airs April 4th On the Lifetime Network 8/7c
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