Blogging her truth.
My Mind Was So Loaded It Nearly Exploded.
Lucretia said it best – and more than once: “I’ve had a lot of beautiful times in my life, but this one tops them all. Who knew miracles were possible at 95 years old?” With sore calves and a full heart, I have found this experience almost too great to bear. What an honor.
Straddling Two Worlds: Transracial Adoption and the Authenticity of Blackness
“You are my worst fear realized,” a black woman—and complete stranger—said to me after I concluded my keynote speech. She continued, “I came to hear you speak, and you have confirmed my worst fears. You aren’t a true black person.
Reflections On 3 Misconceptions From The Red Table
Angela’s discussion with Jada Pinkett Smith on The Red Table Talk was viewed over 9 million times! Angela clarifies some misconceptions from the episode.
My latest creation: An Adoptee Manifesto
Each sentence in this manifesto represents a battle I’ve fought over my lifetime. I’ve spent countless hours convincing others and myself that each of these statements matter and have legitimacy. I wrote this for myself, but now want it to served as an anthem for other adoptees as well. I hang this manifesto in my office so I can be reminded of my truths every day. These statements also served as the outline for my…
Broadway’s Jagged Little Pill Tackles Issues of Race and Adoption
Like you, I’ve been hunkered down at home, trying to do my part to flatten the curve of this coronavirus. Thus, I’ve been watching an ungodly amount of television. I’ve watched Little Fires Everywhere, This Is Us, Ozarks and Modern Family. At first brush, it wouldn’t seem that any of these shows have anything in common - oh, but they do. They all have adoption storylines running through them…
A Day to Remember for 6 Transracially Adopted Youth
Many of my weekends have been spent giggling and conversing with transracially adoptees from all over North America. My Virtual Mentorship sessions are designed to be an informal time of one-on-one conversation about adoption issues, hobbies and general teen angst and tween silliness. Over the past couple of years, six girls worked especially hard - without sharing any of their private details, here are some quick snippets of what some of them have been working through…
Becoming Omma: A Korean Adoptee Becomes a Biological Mother
I was 30 years old when I met my first biological relative. The moment he appeared he wailed an overwhelming loud and shrill cry. After 24 hours of natural labor, an epidural and then an emergency cesarean, my body was exhausted and reacting to all of the medications. My mind was racing with impatience because it felt too surreal that I would soon feel his little body next to mine. I looked over at my husband who had a better view of Zephaniah on the other side of the thin blue, surgical curtain. In a barely audible whisper, I asked “Is this real? He’s here?” He said…
Reflections On 3 Misconceptions From The Red Table
Transracial adoption is complex. It is not the convenient answer to a simple problem that we may wish. Due to this, the adoptee’s voice is often left out of opportunities to share our complex truths. Media outlets tend to focus on stories about dramatic rescues by adoptive parents from terrible circumstances. I am grateful that the Red Table Talk broke this trend and instead offered me an opportunity to expand the conversation about transracial adoption. However, since adoptees haven’t traditionally been afforded such platforms, I felt the weight of the hundreds of adoptees who have confided in me…