Transracial Adoption

Today, approximately 40 percent of adoptions in America are transracial—and that number is growing. In decades past, adoptive parents were encouraged to raise their children as though race didn’t matter; today acknowledging difference is encouraged. While some advocates of transracial adoption believe the practice makes America increasingly “colorblind,” others strongly object to a practice that pulls apart ancestral families and identities. Join us as we explore the personal stories, policies, and politics of transracial adoption. Penumbra’s Let’s Talk Series creates space for compassionate and challenging conversations around issues of social justice, equity, and the arts. Hosted by Sarah Bellamy, the event begins at 6:00pm with refreshments and light bites, followed by a 90-minute presentation and discussion.

PANELISTS
Angela Tucker: A national speaker and thought leader on transracial adoption, Angela is an advocate for adoptee rights. In 2013, at the age of 26, Angela’s own story of adoption and search for her birth parents was featured in the groundbreaking documentary, CLOSURE.

Keno Evol: A poet, educator, and artist, Keno’s practice focuses on educating youth through spoken word and Hip Hop culture. His emphasis on the celebration of black life and black artwork led him to found BlackTableArts, an organization focused on raising volume to black voices and supporting opportunities for creation by oppressed people.

Sandy White Hawk: A leading voice and advocate for First Nations’ adoptees, Sandy is Sicangu Lakota, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, and works to restore First Nations peoples to their homelands.

Kevin Haebeom Vollmers: The founder of Land of Gazillion Adoptees (LGA), a multimedia company based out of Minneapolis, MN. Kevin is a writer, editor, and the publisher of: Parenting As Adoptees, The Declassified Adoptee: Essays of an Adoption Activist; Lost Daughters: Writing Adoption From a Place of Empowerment and Peace; and more.