Blue Boat of Youth and Young Adult MinistriesHow to Better Support Transracially Adopted Youth
Webinar on December 15, 4PM E.D.T.
A recent study found that many youth of color participating in UU congregations are transracially adopted, and that transracially adopted youth of color typically belong to UU congregations that are mostly white. Transracially adopted youth may have different issues or needs from white youth, or even other youth of color. The 2009 Mosaic Report, the Youth Ministry Working Group Reports and the Youth Ministry Advisory Committee (YMAC) all call for us to better support UU transracially adopted youth.
Join Rev. Dr. Monica L. Cummings, UUA program associate for ministry to youth and young adults of color, for a free webinar on Transracially Adopted Youth Ministry to better understand the needs of transracially adopted youth and explore how you, as a religious professional, can address those needs.
– Explore challenges that commonly appear in identity development for young people of color raised in principally white families and communities;
– Discuss the role of religious professionals in supporting an individual youth of color in their identity journey;
– Gain concrete approaches to provide a safe, caring, and informed space to nurture the identity journeys of young people off color in your congregation;
– Share questions, experiences, and insights;
– Find follow-up resources.
The webinar is geared toward UU religious professionals, but registration is free and open to all. Please RSVP to Deborah Neisel-Sanders at youth@uua.org or 617.948.4350. This webinar will also be recorded and made available at a later date.
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2 Responses to “How to Better Support Transracially Adopted Youth”Leave A Comment
My wife and I are parents of two black children who have grown up in a large UU church in Knoxville, Tennessee. We got both children as infants and they are now in high school. While we are now seeing my son exploring racial aspects of his identity, you would do us a better service if you would deal with the issues that are a problem for the family and especially my daughter (18), who has intellectual disabilities. She has been roundly rejected by her age peers at my church and was voted off the youth trip to Boston almost three years ago. Sadly some of the parents of these youth were complicit in this rejection, and the leadership of the church youth program has failed to provide the leadership that would have led to her inclusion and given the youth a richer understanding of her personhood and that of others with disabilities.
Bill
Your family’s story is deeply moving, I am so sorry to hear about the painful experiences your daughter went through. I hope that you have been able to speak to your church’s leaders and staff about this situation, and that they are working towards creating a truly safe and welcoming environment for your family.
In my mind, situations like this only underline the need for better supports for ministry with multiracial families and transracially adopted youth. We will be sure to include information on disabilities in our webinar.
Be well,
Carey