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Join On Your Feet for Adoption Unfiltered Book Tour at The Book Stall in Winnetka
Evanston-based nonprofit, On Your Feet, will co-host a free event, Adoption Unfiltered: Panel Discussion, with The Book Stall (811 Elm St, Winnetka, Ill.) on Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 6:30 p.m at the Winnetka bookstore, as part of their Activism in Adoption education program.
Birthparent Kelsey Vander Vliet Ranyard, adoptee Sara Easterly, and adoptive parent Lori Holden join together for an hour-long, informative panel discussion about their new book Adoption Unfiltered: Revelations from Adoptees, Birth Parents, Adoptive Parents, and Allies — speaking about adoption from their three unique perspectives in the adoption triad. With 75 years of collective, lived experience relating to adoption, the authors — a Millennial, Gen Xer, and Baby Boomer — reveal the challenges, triumphs, and everything in between, while also sharing the viewpoints of dozens of others in the broader adoption constellation, including social workers, therapists, and other allies.
According to Alexis Eyler, On Your Feet’s Executive Director, “We started Activism in Adoption because we recognized that the voices of the people most impacted by adoption — birthparents and adopted people — were missing from traditional adoption education. Activism in Adoption provides this platform, inviting the entire adoption constellation in to listen and learn, providing a more balanced take on adoption, and making adoption education a place of lifelong learning. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to speak with Kelsey, Sara, and Lori at The Book Stall, as part of our 2024 lineup.”
Released on December 1, 2023, Adoption Unfiltered was a project focused on truth and transparency, with each of the authors on their own path to healing. The authors quickly learned that it isn’t possible to heal without first uncovering the struggles of each member of the triad: Adoptees suffer from long-term effects of separation trauma, according to the latest studies in neuroscience. Birthparents often shut down emotionally after adoptive parents shut them out. Adoptive parents have their own unique challenges and insecurities in parenting an adoptee, and misconceptions given to and from the agencies they worked with. The adoption industry as a whole has many instances of misinformation and, at times, unethical practices. While amplifying marginalized voices within the adoption community, Adoption Unfiltered brings all of these ideas together, fostering a collective commitment to better understanding, empathy, and positive change for future generations.
“The rare opportunity to experience an adoptee, birth mother, and adoptive mother communicating honestly and compassionately offers a much-needed model for those navigating the inevitable tensions and joys that exist in adoption,” said Angela Tucker, adoptee and author of You Should Be Grateful: Stories of Race, Identity and Transracial Adoption.
The Adoption Unfiltered: Panel Discussion event is free to attend with online registration, made via The Book Stall's website at thebookstall.com. 20% of sales for all copies of the book purchased directly through The Book Stall’s website will be donated to On Your Feet.
About On Your Feet:
On Your Feet Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization based in Evanston, Ill. dedicated to serving the needs of parents after they have placed a child or children for adoption across North America. They are recognized as the leader in comprehensive post-placement support for birthparents, a demographic that has historically been under-served within the adoption community. They do this through case management, access to adoption-competent therapy, therapeutic retreats, education and counseling grants, community-building, and ethical adoption education. Learn more at onyourfeetfoundation.org.
Event Links
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/2191850-0
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/2191850-2
