" You always have three choices - either parent, abortion, or adoption." – Kiami Merritt
Kiami chose adoption.
The decision to place a child for adoption, is not one taken lightly by birthmothers, although society tends to shame them as if it was. Black birthmothers, in particular, also battle with their choice due to the continued belief that Black people don’t adopt and they certainly don’t relinquish their children. This back-and-forth battle with oneself is extremely stressful as one weighs the pros and cons of this ultimate sacrifice.
In this episode, Kiami shares with us her choice as a Black birthmother to select a single, white, adoptive mother for her child. We take a dive into the legal aspects of adoption, as well as how the notion of open adoption has traumatized birthmothers.
Kiami’s “heart work,” is now empowering and mentoring birth mothers to heal from their adoption experiences. In particular, she is seeking to expand her work with Black birthmothers and is calling these women to action because it is her belief that keeping one’s story locked inside of them, “is a toxin within your body, and it’s going to resonate in other areas of your life.”
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