Adorable twin girls were just infants when they had already begun challenging society’s ideas and perceptions around race.
Amanda and Michael Biggs from Birmingham, England, were married for over a decade when they conceived twin baby girls via I.V.F.
Since Amanda is caucasian and Michael is of Jamaican descent, it wouldn’t be far off to assume that the babies would be born mixed-race — these two parents-to-be were in for a colorful surprise.
TWO BUNDLES OF MIRACLES
Marcia Millie Madge and Millie Marcia Madge Biggs were born on July 3, 2006; this duo had distinct personalities from the beginning. Millie was shy, while her sister was slightly more outgoing.
She hated her curly hair and used to cry because of it.
More than just their natures showed a marked difference between these two. The babies were born with completely different skin colors, albeit not as evident until a few months after birth.
Millie Marcia Madge Biggs. | Source: Youtube.com/National Geographic
A WAVE OF SKEPTICISM
While Marcia had lighter hair and complexion, her sister showed off much darker tones. The mom said that as they grew up, many refused to accept that the little girls were related, recollecting:
“Even teachers at nursery refused to believe they were sisters.”
It turns out that it is entirely possible that fraternal twins with different skin colors can be born via biracial parents. It is slightly rare, with Amanda referring to her daughters as her “one-in-a-million” miracle.
Marcia Millie Madge Biggs. | Source: Youtube.com/National Geographic
THE STARES OF SOCIETY
Despite the skepticism, she claims that she had primarily positive interactions, and even though there were stares, they were mostly out of curiosity. The mother expressed:
“As time went on, people just saw the beauty in them.”
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Amanda has asserted that she hasn’t experienced any racism towards her girls — only surprise and innocent questions.
Twins Millie Marcia Madge Biggs and Marcia Millie Madge Biggs. | Source: Youtube.com/National Geographic
LETTING THE PROS TALK
Science can quickly answer these inquiries, verifying that “race” is a socially constructed concept and on a spectrum rather than split up into fixed categories. In other words, as statistical geneticist Alicia Martin stated:
“The visible differences between peoples are accidents of history.”
Slightly more grown-up, Marcia and Millie also claimed that they hadn’t faced racism. The father chalked it up to his view that there is less racism now than in the past.
ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DUO
In 2015, another “one-in-a-million” miracle from Gloucester, England, namely Lucy and Maria Aylmer, shared a similar experience with non-believers. With a caramel complexion, Maria expressed:
“They say, ‘How did it happen? We don’t believe you.’”
This twin also recalled that she wanted her lighter-skinned sister’s straight hair when she was younger. She recollected that she hated her curly hair and used to cry because of it.
The other twin, Lucy, explained that she was bullied at school, with other children claiming she was adopted and calling her a ghost.
What do you think of the experiences of these two pairs of twins? Furthermore, do you think racism, as Marcia and Millie’s dad implied, is a thing of the past, or is it still alive and well?
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