Today is Juneteenth, and while many celebrate this day with cookouts, cultural events, and family traditions, the holiday also serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing struggles for freedom, justice, and equality faced by Black Americans in the United States. Today, Torie Dimartile unpacks why it is critically important that everyone who works in adoption - including social workers, agency employees, and post-placement services - understand the historical injustices and present-day biases within the medical system that can significantly impact Black women’s reproductive choices and maternal health.

We were honored to host the authors of Adoption Unfiltered to the Chicagoland area in February, as part of their book tour. The recording of that panel session will be available on Activism in Adoption this month, and while we wait, we are sharing a conversation Sara Easterly, one of the authors, had with Torie DiMartile of Wreckage and Wonder, who has lent her expertise to Activism in Adoption for 2024.

This week, Torie sits down with Patrick Armstrong, our upcoming Activism in Adoption speaker, to unpack the Adoptee Consciousness Model, what is was like to travel back to Korea as a Korean adoptee, and the importance of getting out of our individual adoption silos and working together in order to improve outcomes for adoptees.