By . Daily Mail Reporter . Adoptive parents in Alabama have hit back at state Rep. Alvin Holmes' racist comments that white Republicans would force their child to have an abortion if the father was black. The Democrat sensationally declared during an anti-abortion bill last month that he would mortgage his house and give legislators $100,000 if they showed him 'a whole bunch of whites that adopted blacks in Alabama'. Holmes may need to head to the bank after 'a whole bunch' of parents who've adopted children from other races turned up outside the Alabama State House for a rally yesterday. 'We will never move forward away from racism as long as we have leaders holding on to the past and turning everything into a race issue,' Beverly Owings, who has adopted four children with her husband, including a biracial daughter, said at the rally. Scroll down for video . Controversial: Alabama Democrat Rep. Alvin Holmes caused controversy last month by saying '99 per cent' of white Republicans who are anti-abortion would force their daughter to have one if she got pregnant by a black man . Owings told AL.com that Holmes’ comments were racist and hurtful. 'As a parent, you do everything you can to build your child’s self-esteem, and it is very offensive when someone purposely degrades a certain population of children,' she said. 'Children are not born racist. They learn racism from their environment.' Owings is so passionate about the issue, she and her friend April Hadden set up a Facebook page, Faces of Families in Alabama on April 2 to show 'Holmes and the rest of the world how many families in Alabama have adopted children outside of their own race'. The page has more than 7,800 likes and numerous families have shared their pictures on the wall. 'When my daughter heard (Holmes’s) comments, she said, ‘Mom, what about our family?’ And as a mom, I knew I had to step up,' Owings told Yahoo Shine. 'I had no doubt the families were out there, but I have been in amazement. I can’t believe the response.' Moral compass: Beverly Owings (left) was inspired to set up the 'Faces of Families in Alabama' Facebook page on April 2 because she has four adopted children, including a 13-year-old biracial daughter (right) Protest: Parents who have adopted children of another race and other adoption advocates rallied outside the Alabama State House yesterday, as children held banners with photos of mixed-raced families in the state . Rally: Protesters gathered outside Alabama State House in Montgomery yesterday to challenge Rep. Alvin Holmes' comments that white families don't adopt black babies in the southern state . Loving family: Tomas and Lorra Roberts Casson who attended the rally have five adopted children (family pictured) Parent Craig Kelley shared a cute picture of his transracial brood, with the caption: 'Five of our eight blessings that came from Alabama adoptions!' Joy Mikell Portis, a mother of eight children, many of whom are adopted, wrote alongside a family portrait: 'Meet our family. We see people, not skin color and there are many more families like ours here in Montgomery and all over the state of Alabama!' Despite the outcry, Holmes has stood by his controversial comments. 'The majority of white people in Alabama are against interracial marriage and they are against adoption of black children,' Holmes said, according to AL.com. Holmes made the comments during a heated debate early last month for an anti-abortion bill which was subsequently approved by the Alabama House of Representatives. If the bill wins approval, abortion will be banned once a fetal heartbeat is detected, something which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Pictures from 'Faces of Families in Alabama' Facebook page . Mixed-race: Amiee Cook Reeves posted a picture of her mixed-race family, including adopted children from a different race . Loving: Kathy Shaw posted this picture to the Facebook page, with the caption: 'The Prince family from Phil Campbell. All 7 kids are adopted. God brought them into my life and I love them as my own!' Loving: Jennifer Burczyk-Brown, from Birmingham in Alabama, posted this photograph of her husband and adopted children to the Facebook page .
Democrat Rep. Alvin Holmes last month said 'whites would force daughter to abort baby if father is black'
He said 'not one in 100,000' would allow child to have a mixed-race baby .
Parents who've adopted children of another race and adoption advocates rallied outside the Alabama State House yesterday .
They've also set up a Facebook page with photos of mixed-race adoptive families to show diversity in Alabama .
Holmes stands by his comments .
By . Daily Mail Reporter . Adoptive parents in Alabama have hit back at state Rep. Alvin Holmes' racist comments that white Republicans would force their child to have an abortion if the father was black. The Democrat sensationally declared during an anti-abortion bill last month that he would mortgage his house and give legislators $100,000 if they showed him 'a whole bunch of whites that adopted blacks in Alabama'. Holmes may need to head to the bank after 'a whole bunch' of parents who've adopted children from other races turned up outside the Alabama State House for a rally yesterday. 'We will never move forward away from racism as long as we have leaders holding on to the past and turning everything into a race issue,' Beverly Owings, who has adopted four children with her husband, including a biracial daughter, said at the rally. Scroll down for video . Controversial: Alabama Democrat Rep. Alvin Holmes caused controversy last month by saying '99 per cent' of white Republicans who are anti-abortion would force their daughter to have one if she got pregnant by a black man . Owings told AL.com that Holmes’ comments were racist and hurtful. 'As a parent, you do everything you can to build your child’s self-esteem, and it is very offensive when someone purposely degrades a certain population of children,' she said. 'Children are not born racist. They learn racism from their environment.' Owings is so passionate about the issue, she and her friend April Hadden set up a Facebook page, Faces of Families in Alabama on April 2 to show 'Holmes and the rest of the world how many families in Alabama have adopted children outside of their own race'. The page has more than 7,800 likes and numerous families have shared their pictures on the wall. 'When my daughter heard (Holmes’s) comments, she said, ‘Mom, what about our family?’ And as a mom, I knew I had to step up,' Owings told Yahoo Shine. 'I had no doubt the families were out there, but I have been in amazement. I can’t believe the response.' Moral compass: Beverly Owings (left) was inspired to set up the 'Faces of Families in Alabama' Facebook page on April 2 because she has four adopted children, including a 13-year-old biracial daughter (right) Protest: Parents who have adopted children of another race and other adoption advocates rallied outside the Alabama State House yesterday, as children held banners with photos of mixed-raced families in the state . Rally: Protesters gathered outside Alabama State House in Montgomery yesterday to challenge Rep. Alvin Holmes' comments that white families don't adopt black babies in the southern state . Loving family: Tomas and Lorra Roberts Casson who attended the rally have five adopted children (family pictured) Parent Craig Kelley shared a cute picture of his transracial brood, with the caption: 'Five of our eight blessings that came from Alabama adoptions!' Joy Mikell Portis, a mother of eight children, many of whom are adopted, wrote alongside a family portrait: 'Meet our family. We see people, not skin color and there are many more families like ours here in Montgomery and all over the state of Alabama!' Despite the outcry, Holmes has stood by his controversial comments. 'The majority of white people in Alabama are against interracial marriage and they are against adoption of black children,' Holmes said, according to AL.com. Holmes made the comments during a heated debate early last month for an anti-abortion bill which was subsequently approved by the Alabama House of Representatives. If the bill wins approval, abortion will be banned once a fetal heartbeat is detected, something which can happen as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. Pictures from 'Faces of Families in Alabama' Facebook page . Mixed-race: Amiee Cook Reeves posted a picture of her mixed-race family, including adopted children from a different race . Loving: Kathy Shaw posted this picture to the Facebook page, with the caption: 'The Prince family from Phil Campbell. All 7 kids are adopted. God brought them into my life and I love them as my own!' Loving: Jennifer Burczyk-Brown, from Birmingham in Alabama, posted this photograph of her husband and adopted children to the Facebook page .
force their child to have an abortion if the declared during an anti-abortion bill last month Democrat Rep. Alvin Holmes caused controversy their daughter to have one if she got pregnant by issue, she and her friend April Hadden set up a have adopted children of another race and other adoption advocates rallied outside the Alabama State House yesterday, as children held banners with photos of mixed-raced families in the state of Families in Alabama' Facebook page .