Episodes

  • S4E52: Mum's the Word! x Lorna Little, MSW

    S4E52: Mum's the Word! x Lorna Little, MSW
    Feb 17 2024
    "How could my life until that point not be the authentic life that I thought I was living?" - Lorna Little, Black, late discovery adoptee With an impressive academic and professional background in social services, Lorna Little, MSW is intimately connected to the challenges and needs of families, particularly youth parents, youth in foster care and individuals impacted by adoption. Since 2018, she has served as the President and CEO of St. Anne's Family Services. In 1997, the professional turned unexpectedly - an unimaginably - personal. "It's out now." With those three simple words, Lorna learned from her mother that she was adopted. But only by one parent. "Your dad is your dad biologically. But I'm not your biological mother." A living family secret swaddled in the shame of infidelity, infertility, interracial romance and stigma took Lorna on an international search for the truth of her origins that spanned years. Lorna's search is filled with so many twists, turns and moments of synchronicity that her reunion can only be called Divine. Her memoir, Mum's the Word! (we love a good double entendre!) is not only a journey through family secrets and relationships; it's a map of sorts for other late discovery adoptees navigating their own healing journeys through what Lorna describes as the complex "blessing" of adoption. This episode is like a movie, y'all, get comfortable and get into it! As always, LISTEN, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE! SHOW NOTES CONNECT WITH US! Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Youtube         ⁠⁠⁠Black to the Beginning Website RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoption on ⁠⁠⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ REQUIRED READING: ⁠⁠⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠⁠⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreadsFEATURED #BTTBreads: ⁠⁠Mum's the Word! A Memoir⁠⁠ by Lorna LittleAS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: ⁠"Secrets & Lies" (Film) SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST ⁠⁠⁠SUPPORTER⁠⁠⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99PAYPAL/ZELLE: info@blacktothebeginning.com⁠⁠⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning⁠⁠           ⁠ SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY ⁠⁠⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠⁠⁠ #ADOPTION #FOSTERCARE #LDA #NPE --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 26 mins
  • S4E51: "If you reveal, you heal" x Ryan Hil

    S4E51: "If you reveal, you heal" x Ryan Hil
    Feb 2 2024

    “I just want to get into some ‘good trouble’.”   - Ryan Hill, Black, same-race adoptee

    For as long as Ryan could remember, he always knew that he was adopted. His mother was a social worker who also  worked at The Cradle, an Illinois adoption agency, for 10 years.  She would often hold him close and softly speak the words, “we want you,” into his ear.  Ryan felt special and internalized that he was “chosen.”  

    While his mother was very intentional about demonstrating her love and support through open conversation, she opted to not have other family members to speak about adoption at all.  This left Ryan feeling “othered,” and unprepared with how to navigate being Black, male, and adopted in the all-white neighborhood in which he grew up.  The compounding of these identities brought about shame, feelings of abandonment and rejection, and ultimately depression.  

    At the age of 13, Ryan’s overwhelming emotions had him believing that life was no longer worth living.  And while he didn’t make any attempts on his life at that time, the thoughts of suicide ebbed and flowed, even into adulthood.  Fortunately, he found the creative outlet of DJ’ing to assist him through challenging times.

    Eventually, Ryan embarks on a search and reunion process to learn more about his origin story.  What he uncovers is enough to re-traumatize him!  Instead, he places himself at choice to fortify relationships with his adoptive family, accept the complexities of his biological family, and vows to unapologetically speak the truth in his advocacy for adoptees' voices to be heard so that they don’t become statistics.


    SHOW NOTES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠

    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠⁠Youtube         ⁠⁠⁠

    RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES

    • LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on ⁠⁠⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠⁠⁠

    • SUPPORT: ⁠⁠Black Adoptee Support Group⁠ & ⁠Adopted Black Girl Podcast⁠⁠

    • REQUIRED READING: ⁠⁠⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠⁠⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads

    • FEATURED #BTTBreads:The Primal Wound by Nancy Verrier

    • AS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: Jane Elliot, American Diversity Educator

    SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST

    • ⁠⁠⁠SUPPORTER⁠⁠⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99

    • PAYPAL/ZELLE: info@blacktothebeginning.com

    • ⁠⁠⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning⁠⁠           ⁠

    SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY

    ⁠⁠⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠⁠⁠


    #ADOPTION #SUICIDE PREVENTION #MENTALHEALTH

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 29 mins
  • S4E50: "Never Call My Mom Auntie!" x Aretha Frazier

    S4E50: "Never Call My Mom Auntie!" x Aretha Frazier
    Jun 16 2023
    "I don't romanticize my suffering and my trauma and I don't allow other people to do it either." - Aretha Frazier, Black, kinship adoptee Aretha Frazier's younger sister is her biological niece and Aretha's mom is her biological aunt. Aretha was introduced to the complexities of family relationships early in life, being born to parents who struggled with crack addictions in Detroit in the 1990s. She still vividly remembers the fear of seeing the two police officers who came to remove her and her two younger siblings from their home and from her biological mother's care. Their favorite aunt came to pick them up, and with a new home came a new name and a new relationship. Favorite auntie quickly became a mother whom she learned to fear. Aretha experienced unchecked physical abuse until the age of 12, but emotional and mental abuse by her mother continued. Her strict and controlling ways often went ignored by other family members who never let Aretha forget that she should be grateful for the good life, education and opportunities her mother provided. Aretha turned out better than fine; she became a successful lawyer. Wasn't life so much better than what it would have been if she'd stayed with her biological mother? People tend to believe that intrafamilial adoption, or kinship adoption, is inherently all good and that is far from the truth. Aretha's story parallels many of the challenges experienced by those who are adopted by non-biological kin. For so many years Aretha walked on eggshells, tip-toeing around her adoption to avoid the landmines of her mom's emotions. Today, she's using her voice and her story to help people interrogate their assumptions about kinship adoption. She proudly identifies as #BlackAndAdopted and we love to see it! Clap it up for EPISODE 50, y'all!! Wow. This milestone was reached in partnership with YOU. Thank you for every listen, every share, every DM, every storyteller and every piece of support and encouragement. Cheers to changing the narrative one episode at a time! As always, LISTEN, SUBSCRIBE & SHARE! SHOW NOTES CONNECT WITH US! Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Youtube         ⁠⁠ RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on ⁠⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠⁠SUPPORT: ⁠Black Adoptee Support Group & Adopted Black Girl Podcast⁠REQUIRED READING: ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreadsFEATURED #BTTBreads: ⁠Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World⁠ by Dorothy RobertsAS MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE: "I'm Glad My Mom Died" by Jennette McCurdy SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST ⁠⁠SUPPORTER⁠⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99PAYPAL/ZELLE: info@blacktothebeginning.com⁠⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning⁠           ⁠ SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY ⁠⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠⁠ #ADOPTION #FOSTERCARE #KINSHIP --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • S4E49: "Am I dreaming? Did this really happen?" x Poet Loschil

    S4E49: "Am I dreaming? Did this really happen?" x Poet Loschil
    Jun 2 2023
    What happens when a happy-go-lucky Black boy with a healthy sense of curiosity is silenced by a secret from the shadows?  He retreats, hides, and selectively mutes himself. What those around him don’t know, is that the “mic-drop” reveal by his parents of “you’re adopted,” is never discussed again.  The little boy, with questions about his story, is not permitted to ask them.  Consolation is not an option.  Rather, he’s told to “fix your face and act right.” Coming to the proverbial BTTB stage for Season 4, Episode 49, is Poet Loschil (sounds like Lost Child).  Listen in as this Black MAN shares his uphill battle to decipher his parents’ truths from lies.  And while you’re tuning in, think about the impact of only having a “one and done,” conversation about a critical life-changing event. The closest that he ever gets to answers is through reunion with some of his biological family.  Even then, there are lingering clues that may never lead to a full understanding of his identity. Luckily, Poet Loschil, begins to tap into his creative prowess. He credits writing and poetry with being the outlet that he never knew he needed.  It’s been his therapy, his rise from the ashes, and the vehicle to unmute himself.  His words are a gift and a lesson to us all that no matter what, Black adoptee voices are powerful and necessary. We will not be silenced. Take a listen to Season 4, Episode 49.  Share. Subscribe. Leave a review. SHOW NOTES CONNECT WITH US! Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning on ⁠⁠Youtube         Poet Loschil on Instagran @poetloschil RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES THERAPY/COACHING: with ⁠Therapy for Black MenREAD: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Between the World and Me by Ta-Nahesi Coates⁠REFLECT: with ⁠Rooted in Adoption Journal: Adoptee Writing Prompts for Self-Reflection, Discovery, and Healing⁠LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on ⁠⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠⁠REQUIRED READING: ⁠⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads #BTTBreads SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST ⁠⁠SUPPORTER⁠⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99PayPal/Zelle: info@blacktothebeginning.com⁠⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning           ⁠⁠ SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY ⁠⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠⁠ #ADOPTION #THEBLACKFAMILY #MENTALHEALTH #SEARCHANDREUNION #WRITEABOUTIT --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    57 mins
  • S4E48: "Miracles of a Murder" x Michelle Senior

    S4E48: "Miracles of a Murder" x Michelle Senior
    Apr 8 2023

    "I just believe that the plan for their life and my life is going to exceed everything I've gone through." - Michelle Senior, adoptive mom following emergency foster care placement

    Less than a year after her son was murdered, Michelle Senior found herself unexpectedly caring for three children under the age of two. When people comment that she "saved" them, she's quick to correct them that her three "miracles" saved her.

    Grief mixed with the overwhelm of unplanned motherhood and trauma from her past had her contemplating taking her own life.

    Thankfully, she didn't. Although Michelle, instead, recognized the blessing in having more to live for - despite the challenges - this conversation dives deeper into how do parents care for themselves navigating personal trauma while also caring for traumatized children.

    It takes more than love in either case, that much is for certain.


    SHOW NOTES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠
    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠
    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Youtube         ⁠
    • Michelle on Instagram @welcome2thezoocus

    RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES

    • LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on ⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠
    • SUPPORT: National Foster Parent Association Resource Page⁠
    • REQUIRED READING: ⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads
    • FEATURED #BTTBreads: Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families and How Abolition Can Build a Safer World by Dorothy Roberts

    SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST

    • ⁠SUPPORTER⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99
    • PayPal/Zelle: info@blacktothebeginning.com
    • ⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning           ⁠

    SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY

    ⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠

    #ADOPTION #FOSTERCARE

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • S4E47: "I am so free, right now." x Regina Smithwick

    S4E47: "I am so free, right now." x Regina Smithwick
    Mar 31 2023

    There’s a price for freedom, and it involves doing your work.  For Regina, this meant moving from a place of being “ok” about her adoption status, to being accepting of it.  This was no easy task, because adoption was not discussed with her since the age of six, during an interrupted viewing of Soul Train.  40+ years later, the topic remained, hush.  Consequently, Regina grappled with failed relationships, being loyal to a fault, and suppressing her feelings and emotions about who she was and how she came to be with her family.

    After one critical event of begging a man to like her, she recognized that her unresolved issues about her adoption kept her from loving herself, and she begins working with a life coach.  This is pivotal for her as she begins to speak truth to power, openly acknowledge her adoption, and embrace her calling to help others in this world. 

    This story solidifies how secrecy, stigma, shame, and silence are detrimental to adoptees being able to fully, heal.  What’s an adoptee to do when it appears that society and adoptive/biological families express that adoptees should just move on with their lives and remain in the dark about where they come from?  How do adoptees receive adequate medical care when a visit at the doctor’s office feels disempowering if you don’t have information about your health history?  When the credits roll, is it not fair to admit that sometimes, reunions are “like a gift wrapped in sandpaper?” 

    We have questions, and the answers.  Take a listen to Season 4, Episode 47.  Share. Subscribe. Leave a review.

    SHOW NOTES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ ⁠
    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Facebook⁠⁠ ⁠
    • Black to the Beginning on ⁠Youtube         

    RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES

    • LIFE COACHING: with Regina Smithwick
    • READ: ⁠Adoption, the Unknown Blessing by Regina Smithwick
    • WATCH: My Other Mother
    • LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on ⁠The Black Adoption Podcast⁠
    • REQUIRED READING: ⁠Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop⁠  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads #BTTBreads

    SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST

    • ⁠SUPPORTER⁠: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99
    • PayPal/Zelle: info@blacktothebeginning.com
    • ⁠SHOP Black to the Beginning           ⁠

    SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY

    ⁠Podcast Guest Questionnaire⁠

    #ADOPTION #THEBLACKFAMILY #MENTALHEALTH #SEARCHANDREUNION

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • S4E46: "Full Circle" x Jamel Hicks, Creator of Maybe Mama Blog

    S4E46: "Full Circle" x Jamel Hicks, Creator of Maybe Mama Blog
    Mar 10 2023

    "Why didn't somebody tell me that I had fibroids? Even if they weren't that big, why didn't somebody tell me that I had them?" - Jamel Hicks, Mothering via adoption after fibroids + infertility

    After having years of annual exams, Jamel Hicks was 34 years old the first time a gynecologist told her she had fibroids - several fibroids, to be exact. Not only was this news to her, she was also shocked to learn from her mother that many of the women in their family suffered with fibroids. Jamel remembers being about 10 years old when she helped care for an aunt who had surgery. Come to find out, her aunt had a hysterectomy. 

    The women in her family didn't talk about those things.

    Removing the fibroids set Jamel on a fertility journey that put a strain on her body, mind and blossoming relationship with the man who would become her husband. She started a blog, Maybe Mama, to chronicle her rollercoaster journey with infertility as a Black woman. After one round of IVF treatments, she clearly heard from God "no more medical intervention." 

    For Jamel, adoption was not the last resort. Not being a parent was the last resort.

    Life as a hopeful adoptive parent (HAP) meant first dealing with the grief of infertility. Today, there's no maybe; Jamel is mama to a beautiful baby boy. Her story is a reminder that #BlackFamiliesAdopt and they are "real" families, too.

    SHOW NOTES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Black to the Beginning on Instagram 
    • Black to the Beginning on Facebook 
    • Black to the Beginning on Youtube         
    • Jamel on Instagram @mothering_after & @maybemama

    RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES

    • READ: Maybe Mama Blog - Musings on Infertility. Blackness. Womanhood.
    • LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on The Black Adoption Podcast
    • SUPPORT: Fertility for Colored Girls & The Broken Brown Egg & The White Dress Project
    • REQUIRED READING: Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop  - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads #BTTBreads
    • FEATURED #BTTBreads: "Adoption is Both" by Elena S. Hall

    SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST

    • SUPPORTER: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99, $4.99, or $9.99
    • PayPal/Zelle: info@blacktothebeginning.com
    • SHOP Black to the Beginning           

    SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY

    Podcast Guest Questionnaire

    #ADOPTION #FIBROIDS #INFERTILITY

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 44 mins
  • S4E45: "There is literally an endless sea of us with stories like mine.” " x Michelle Mackey

    S4E45: "There is literally an endless sea of us with stories like mine.” " x Michelle Mackey
    Feb 24 2023

    Reading through documentation from a half-baked adoption file is the only way to “jarg” Michelle’s repressed memories of her childhood. As she sifts through the notes that a social worker has penned, she learns that her early life included living in a motel that housed prostitutes and drug addicts. A line that jumps off the page of that report states “it is a great concern that she was allowed to spend the first three years of her life here.” This begins Michelle’s journey into the foster care system, but ultimately becoming an adoptee.

    Throughout her time within the foster care system, Michelle endures unspeakable trauma. So much so, she becomes selectively mute. Ultimately, a new home is identified for Michelle, and she has a “resting place,” where she at least receives her basic needs, educational and mental health supports, as well as unbreakable bonds with the other children in her home that were fostered and then adopted.

    The resilience and power within this story are unparalleled. It’s a testament to triumphing in the midst of tribulations, deciding for oneself that you won’t be a victim, and creating connections with people that are going to build you up and celebrate your “wins,” at all times.

    Get into this nightmare turned beautiful beginning. We’re inspired, and know you will be too. Take a listen to Season 4, Episode 45. Share. Subscribe. Leave a review.

    SHOW NOTES

    CONNECT WITH US!

    • Black to the Beginning on Instagram 
    • Black to the Beginning on Facebook 
    • Black to the Beginning on Youtube 

    RECOMMENDED ADOPTION RESOURCES

    • LISTEN: Voices of the Black Adoption Experience and African American adoptees on The Black Adoption Podcast
    • Black Adoptee Support Group on Instagram @blackadopteesupportgroup
    • REQUIRED READING: Black to the Beginning Reads Bookshop      - A carefully curated list of #BTTBreads...for the culture!

    SUPPORT THE BLACK ADOPTION PODCAST

    • SUPPORTER: Make a monthly contribution of $0.99,      $4.99, or $9.99
    • PayPal/Zelle: info@blacktothebeginning.com
    • SHOP Black to the Beginning  

    SHARE YOUR BLACK ADOPTION STORY

    Podcast Guest Questionnaire

    #ADOPTION #FOSTERCARE #SELFMANAGEMENT

    --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/black-to-the-beginning/support
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    1 hr and 28 mins