Well, 2020 happened and nothing will ever be the same. I suppose that's always true but 2020 made continual change impossible to ignore. While we mourn loss and suffer on, we look to stay connected. That was a more difficult task amidst quarantine and remains difficult when planning large community events. How to keep everyone safe while bringing us together for much need connection.
Just like every other industry, Adoption Roots is short-staffed. We are looking for an experienced, qualified and fierce advocate of an Executive Director. Please apply via email with your resume or CV. We seek experience in community event planning, non-profit leadership and adoption/under-represented community service. Looking forward, while we did receive funding, we are planning an outdoor event. As Delta cases rise, we are closely monitoring county guidance to make safe decisions for our community. Please do not hesitate to contact us in the meantime if you have an individual need or interest or idea. Be well and stay safe.
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After the success of the first Ethiopian Festival in Lafayette, CO, Adoption Roots was invited to show the art at a local gallery called The Collective. Furthermore, a west African drumming and dance group, Mokomba, graciously offered their talents to the evening. The Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission sponsored the FREE event for the community. Families came and took pictures of their children's art on display. The children felt special and seen by their community. As the night wore on, the culture spewed from the gallery with loud drumming and dancing. The night wouldn't quit and the entire gallery erupted in dance, shouting and music. The gallery was packed with all ages, sizes, colors and glee. All were welcome. All were loved. Even after the gallery shut down, people gathered outside, talking together in the street until late into the night. This sort of social persistence is evidence of just how bad this subculture needed to be seen but furthermore, how much this small community needs this richness of diversity.
Adoption ROOTS is hoping to receive the support of the Lafayette Cultural Arts Commission once again next year to grow this event and make it a community tradition. Integrating heritage with current culture in a tangible way is what Adoption Roots is all about. Learning traditional dance techniques and moving your body to traditional music can connect you to a culture in a visceral way. Creating traditional art can be not only empowering but emotionally integrating. Smelling and tasting food and drink can engulf the spirit of connectedness.
Thanks to Cultural Arts Commission in our town of Lafayette, CO, Adoption Roots will be hosting their first ever Ethiopian Fest on April 22nd from 11a-4p at Ras Kassas Restaurant, 802 S. Public Rd. During this first ever event, we plan to celebrate and integrate! Children and adults alike are invited to dive deep into Ethiopian culture by eating delicious food, participating in a traditional coffee ceremony, enjoying African DJ music, classes in traditional dance & art experiences for all ages. The traditional art will be hung at Ras Kassas for just over a month, then moved up the street to our very hip new gallery, The Collective, where we will have a true art opening! No experience or talent is required, just a commitment to honoring each other's heritage & a willingness to support it in a tangible way. Who knows, you may find some hidden joy by getting outside your comfort zone a bit! This is a chance for the city of Lafayette to celebrate and integrate it's Ethiopian residents. It is a chance for those residents to proudly celebrate and display their culture for friends and family to enjoy. We come together to dance, eat, drink & create! More importantly, we come together to celebrate our interconnectedness! Adoption can be a beautiful thing and a complicated thing. Roots exists to keep adopted children connected to their motherland, biological family and/or meaningful connections, however they deem them and on their terms. Exploring our past can enrich our present. Be bold and know who you are! There is a common saying 'from roots to wings' in parenting. It summarizes the concept that if human beings have a solid foundation and secure attachment within primary relationships; they have a better chance at health, happiness and meaningful engagement in the world. Applying this concept to adoption can be scary because adoptees are torn from everything/one they know (sometimes, multiple times.) In some situations abuse, neglect & poor living conditions lead to medically and psychologically complexities. Needless to say, it's NOT the ideal scenario in which to 'root.' That being said, I believe with all my heart, that people are resilient. It takes work, for sure, but formulating a solid foundation and integrating that primal loss can happen. I also believe the work is continual and fluid. In order to heal and move forward in a healthy and productive capacity, you must go through the emotions. If you attempt to 'go around' them or 'stuff them down,' they are sure to manifest in some capacity. Until you meet your issues (any issues) head on, they will always be there. Roots was formed with the intention of going right to the source to begin and stay on the rise. So, from roots we rise... |
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