Keisha Lance Bottoms is opening up about one of the most personal chapters of her life.

In a recent interview with TheGrio tied to her memoir, “The Rough Side of the Mountain,” the former Atlanta mayor spoke about years of infertility, more than a dozen surgeries, a partial hysterectomy, and the long road that eventually led her and her husband, Derek, to adoption. “For me, it was a journey to say the least,” Bottoms said, adding, “I suffered from very bad fibroids. I had more surgeries than I literally can count, probably more than a dozen.” 

Bottoms said she and her husband tried to conceive biologically, including through IVF and other alternatives, before turning to adoption. “I thought there was a conflict between adopting and faith that God would give us this baby naturally,” she said. “And I can tell you again, one of these rough patches going up the mountain, I wouldn’t trade anything for the world.” 

Now the mother of four, Bottoms said the experience changed how she thinks about family, faith, and what it means to become a mother. “If I had to do it all over again to get back to the four that I get to call my children, I would do it all over again,” she said. 

But Bottoms’ reflections went even deeper when she talked about the adoption system itself, especially the way Black boys are often treated. “It was a journey and really eye-opening just in terms of adoption in general, and the availability of Black boys. Black boys are often the last chosen,” she said. “The fear of Black men starts at birth. That black boys are not always the chosen ones when it comes to adoption.” 

Bottoms said she hopes telling her story will make more people consider adoption and more hearts open to Black children who are still waiting.