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“You Are Like The Whitest Black Person I Know!”
As the white adoptive mother of 4 transracially adopted children, I know so much more now about race and racism than I did some 30 years ago, when we started down the path of building a family through...
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Aselefech’s Ethiopia Journey: Adoption, Family, A Film
This is, of course, my daughter Aselefech’s story to tell: what it meant to her to travel back at age 26 to Ethiopia, the land of her birth and where she spent her first six years of life. What it …...
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Being Black in Adoption: Seattle and Elsewhere
I’ve lived in Seattle about four years, and it’s still a culture shock for me to go to places like restaurants or malls, or Seattle Town Hall, Elliott Bay Bookstore, the Seattle Public Library, or...
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Racism, Trauma, and Adoption: Wake Up
Racism, trauma, and adoption are far more entwined than many people want to admit. As a white person, I will start by saying this: Racism is real, pervasive, mostly implicit, better than it once was,...
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Ethiopian Adoptees and Black History Month: A Great Video
Four Ethiopian adoptees have made a thoughtful, provocative video for Black History Month, talking about what it means to be black, Ethiopian, and African, in the US and in Canada. Their “I Am Black...
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The Tempest of Rachel Dolezal
The story of Rachel Dolezal doesn’t have legs: it has octopus arms and labyrinthine twists. Its reach and longevity have been astonishing, and speak to the fragility and pain of understanding race in...
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“What Do You See?” Music Video: Family, Struggle, Resilience, Awe
“What Do You See?” is a lovely song by the talented musician-singers Mr and Mrs. Something. Today, they released the song, as well as a music video that has a story line about family, parenting,...
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“Racial Identity” Is a Safety Issue for Children of Color Adopted by White...
Prior to adopting, should white parents be able to show proof that they can provide a strong, genuine sense of racial identity to their adopted children of color? Should “strong racial identity” be...
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Kaepernick: Patriotism, Racism, and Adoption
Ever been to a public sports event, say, an NFL game? When the national anthem is played or sung, does everyone stand quietly and respectfully? No. Drunk people shriek and yell during the national...
View ArticleAwakening from “Woke”
My daughter Aselefech (an Ethiopian adoptee, almost 30 years old, raised by her white dad and me) asked me why I was doing so much race-related reading and writing and attending of events these days....
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