Social Injustice is a topic that hits close to home and a very personal issue with Hope Embraced and our team. Some of what we have experienced and seen has been so hurtful and has stirred many emotions, that we feel we have to touch on this! As you may have already read, I am the person who started Hope Embraced and I am a birth mom myself. I made an adoption plan for my son. My son is biracial. As we know, even 30 years ago there were racial tensions, sometimes even in our own families, churches, and communities. With this being the reality, we work to encourage equality and honor to each and every culture. We require education for adoptive families who are choosing to adopt a child different from their own culture.
One of our past expectant mothers shared how touched she was by the adoptive mother included her cultural history in her home and even in how she dressed the baby. We encourage families to have a strong support system with diversity. We also make sure they will have a clear understanding to educate their child.
Crossing the racial barriers of society we have been able to sit down with woman we work with to find out what some of the tensions and controversies that are there within the different cultures. We’ve been told by our past birth moms that adoption is looked at in a negative way in the African American community. They feel pressured to keep their "secret" and terminate the pregnancy and their “problem” as quickly and quietly as possible. One of the women we worked with in the past told us, "You wouldn't even believe all that was said to me when I did adoption. I was really bashed for my decision. They would rather just fuss and do abortion, and sweep it under the rug, than a person give her baby away." Many of them choose abortion instead of adoption because they want to avoid the embarressment or shame even within their church communities. We find this sad and truly heartbreaking! It is amazing to see how the "church" talks about being "pro-life" and at the same time, shames expectant/birth moms for choosing adoption...even if they truly are not prepared to parent a child for whatever reason. We are committed to walking with women that make this choice. We strive to empower women that this choice is selfless and can be something that can turn a crisis into a blessing in their life.
One of the statistics we came across is from the CDC in 2011 where it states that at a ratio of 474 abortions per 1,000 live births, black women have the highest ratio of any group in the country for abortions. We recognize the need to talk through important issues and have a better understanding of where we are each coming from with history and mind sets. These conversations have given us the opportunity to see into each other’s hearts which has given us the ability to build lifelong relationships with the moms we work with.
In honor of the country celebrating the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. marching in Washington, we link arms, join, and celebrate that each and every life from every culture and background is equally beautiful and precious. We walk alongside you embracing hope for the future.
Embracing Hope for Birth Moms
South Carolina, Adoption Agency