Living in Color: Racial Identity in Multicultural Adoptive Families | Annie Bellavia | TEDxDayton

"I don't see color" is often said by well-intentioned people trying to do the right thing in regards to race and ethnicity. But that mindset had real-world consequences on Annie, an adoptee who recounts her childhood growing up with adoptive parents of a different race. By sharing her emotional story, she urges those involved in adoption and foster care to engage in difficult conversations on race. Annie is a married mother of 3 who relocated to the Dayton area in 2019. Born and raised in Southwest Georgia, she spent most of her early years in and out of foster care before being adopted. Annie’s experience in the foster system made her highly aware of the internal conflicts and identity issues that come from being raised in a “color blind” world. Today, she serves as a resource for foster/adopted children and families who experience these conflicts while actively advocating for others to openly discuss race and how it shapes our interactions within society. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx