White adoptive parents learn how to care for their black children�s hair

"People are judged by the way they look," said Julien Drouet, a white father of Lily, 3, and 10-month-old Victor, whom he adopted with his partner, Brandon Walt. "I don't agree, but if we want to help our kids, we need to know how to do this."

Drouet was up early on a recent Saturday morning to immerse himself in the merits of braids versus twists, rake versus rattail combs and relaxers versus going natural. The class, believed to be the only one in the Chicago area, is about more than good grooming. It illuminates the crumbling of one of society's last barriers and the gradual acceptance of transracial families into America's melting pot, experts say.

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