Wanted: the black genes of my white son

"My psychologist strongly advises against it. My mother also thinks it's a crazy idea. And then there's the hefty price tag of one hundred and eighty euros. Yet I feel an irresistible urge to buy a DNA test from GPS Origins.

Not for myself. I've already taken that test. But for my seven-year-old son, August. I'm tanned, he's white. I have jet-black afro curls and a bum you could pour a cup of tea on. He has flimsy blond hair and spiky legs. His skin is so paper-thin you can see the blue veins flowing beneath it like rivers through a snowy landscape. He's a handsome little boy, no doubt about it. But still, his appearance bothers me a little.

In recent years, I've done everything I can to connect him with his African roots. I invest in inclusive children's books and try to talk as much as possible about my origins, about the country his grandfather came from. But it remains just words. My son doesn't physically bear Congolese traces, and he barely has any cultural contact with them either. A DNA test would help not only me, but him as well. He's still too young to understand the results, but later, as he grows older and starts to think more about his bicultural identity, it could be a powerful tool. Knowledge is power, right? The more information August has about his origins, the more likely he will develop into a self-confident individual who embraces his rich ethnic baggage.