Henry
What happens when a Black child is adopted into a white Mormon family?
The Mormon church silenced Henry's identity as a Black transracial adoptee, but he's done being quiet. From "colorblind" racism to the weight of forced gratitude, he exposes the ugly truth behind his adoption.
We explore the impact of media representation, the importance of acknowledging adoptee anger, and why abolishing the current system might be the only way forward.
Henry shares his journey of finding community with other adoptees and reclaiming his voice.
"My life was really to fill this hole in my parents' life instead of my parents being there to raise children.
What we discussed
(00:22) Who is Henry?
(01:48) Coming out of the fog
(03:52) Adopted through the mormon church
(06:34) Growing up with adopted sisters
(08:26) Adoptees vs. adoptive parents on This is Us OR Adoptees vs. Adoptive parents on TV
(13:23) Expectation of gratefulness OR “I want someone to love me”
(20:26) Being allowed to feel & express
(23:21) Alternatives to family policing OR Mind your own business
(26:02) Relationship with adoptive parents while being abolitionist
(32:27) Find your inner voice
Links
Follow us on social media: Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok
Credits
Special thanks to Samuel Oyedele for editing our podcast, support his work on Instagram or e-mail him at Drumaboyiglobal@gmail.com
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com