Black History Month takes place during February and is a time to celebrate and bring awareness to the history of the Black population in the United States. This is a month that adoptive families and birth mothers can easily celebrate in the world of adoption. There are many transracial adoptions that Adoption Choices of Nevada is involved in. We want to encourage these adoptions to consider celebrating Black History Month with their child. Additionally, if you are considering adoption or are planning on giving up your child for adoption, understanding the various ways you can celebrate this month in the future in a transracial adoption is a great way to prepare for the years to come. Here are Adoption Choices of Nevada’s three ways that you can celebrate Black History Month in a transracial adoption. 

1. Learn About or Share Your Family History

If you or your child’s adoptive parents are Black, a great way to celebrate this month is to listen to or share family history. If you are Black and are in an open or semi-open adoption with your child, there are ways for you to share unique stories from your family’s past with your child, whether through in-person visits, letters, emails, or phone calls. Additionally, you can share those stories with your child’s adoptive parents as well so they can learn more about you and your family. If your child’s adoptive parents are Black, you can take time to learn about their family. This will help you understand more about the parents who are raising your child and the triumphs and challenges they have faced in years past. Additionally, you can ask your child to tell you about their adoptive parents and their family histories. This will allow them to learn more about their family’s background and provide an opportunity to communicate and share stories with you. 

2. Watch a Movie About Black History

If you are in an open adoption with your child, one way you can celebrate Black History Month is by watching a movie that teaches about and celebrates events in Black history. Find a time to get together with your child and their adoptive parents, and find a movie that will be kid-friendly and appropriate to watch with your child. Movies are a great way to engage your child and teach them about Black history. If you are in a semi-open adoption, you can send your child a movie that the adoptive parents approve for your child to watch. You could talk on the phone after watching the movie and talk about what they watched, which will help them remember the new things they have learned. Most kids enjoy watching movies, so using this form of media is a great way to captivate your child’s attention and celebrate Black History Month. 

3. Find a Book that Celebrates Black History

A final way you can celebrate Black History Month is by buying or checking out a book on Black History. There are plenty of books that are written for children that teach them about Black history in a way that they will understand. Children’s books are written at all different levels, so there is definitely a book out there that your child will be able to understand. If you are in an open adoption, you can read the book with your child and discuss it afterward if they want to. If you are in a semi-open adoption, you can send the book to their house with the approval of their parents. After they have read the book, they can talk about it with their adoptive parents or with you. 

Raising a Child Who Appreciates Black History

Although some adoptions don’t allow the birth mother to be very involved in the adoption, if you are able to encourage the celebration of Black History Month with your child, it will be a very valuable experience for them to have. Coordinate with your child’s adoptive parents and find ways that you can appreciate Black history this February. If you have any questions about adoption or wish to start on your adoption plan, reach out to your local adoption agency, Adoption Choices of Nevada, and our staff will help you in any way they can. 

Adoption Choices of Nevada has been providing adoption and surrogacy services across Nevada since 2012. You can call us to speak to someone now. Contact Us 24/7: 855-940-4673 (Toll-Free) | 702-474-4673 (Las Vegas) | 775-825-4673 (Reno) | 775-738-4673 (Elko) | 775-884-4673 (Carson City).

Meet the author: Kyla’s life has been filled with adventure and transition – both good and difficult. She loves to take on challenges head-on and lead an organized and balanced life. She’s passionate about many different areas and loves how writing gives her the flexibility to engage in research of almost every field of study imaginable. She grew up very involved in theater and music and continues to use her free time to play the piano and sing. However, she is also very interested in how the natural world works and takes any chance she has to spend the day away from crowds, enveloped in the seclusion of nature. Growing up in the Philippines, she’s had some unique experiences that have shaped her worldview and given her a deeper understanding and appreciation for different cultures. She gets excited about research papers, completed to-do lists, and her morning coffee.