Family Camp Presenter Archives

Black Excellence – Rachel Briggs

For those that have been at TRJ camp these last couple of years, our example of Black Excellence for this month is a familiar face that brings so much spirit to our time together.

Rachel Briggs of Dream Through STEAM RI embodies Black excellence, passionately advocating for STEAM education, especially for underrepresented youth. Her work transforms lives, bridging opportunity gaps and fostering innovation.

Dream Through STEAM RI, under Briggs's leadership, creates pathways for young minds to engage with STEAM through hands-on learning and mentorship. She dismantles systemic barriers, providing safe spaces for exploration and growth.

Her approach cultivates creativity and problem-solving, incorporating arts to emphasize holistic learning. She empowers youth, encouraging them to see themselves as future innovators and leaders.

A Champion of Community Engagement

Briggs champions community engagement, collaborating with schools and organizations to expand STEAM access. She recently hosted her first Cultural Blind Dates event, pairing individuals from different cultural backgrounds for dialogue, promoting empathy and understanding.

Honoring African American STEAM Pioneers

Her business honors African American STEAM pioneers, using their stories to educate and inspire. At Paul Cuffee Charter School, students learned physics through shipbuilding, inspired by the school’s namesake. Briggs partnered with CCRI for "The Contributors," a photo reenactment exhibition celebrating Black women in STEAM. This exhibition serves as a powerful visual testament to their contributions.

Rachel Briggs is a role model, showing children that they can succeed in STEAM. We look forward to welcoming Ms. Rachel back to TRJ camp 2025.

For more information about Rachel Briggs:

Watch video from Feb 26th, 2025 where Rachel Briggs joined the The Rhode Show to explain Dream Through Steam RI and discusses her Cultural Blind Date event

Each month, we take time to highlight the remarkable contributions of Black leaders, trailblazers, and changemakers whose impact continues to shape our world. These stories serve as a valuable opportunity for transracial families to learn, reflect, and engage in meaningful conversations about Black history and culture. We invite you to explore our past Black Excellence features in the carousel below, where you’ll find inspiring figures from various fields—activism, science, arts, sports, and beyond. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive these stories, along with discussion prompts and book recommendations, right in your inbox.

2025 Family Camp Theme Announcement:

A Message from the TRJ Board of Directors and Executive Director

At the intersection of Black History Month and a month when we celebrate love, we are reminded of the power of community, resilience, and the bonds that sustain us on our journeys. This year, those values feel more urgent than ever and why we are thrilled to announce our 2025 camp theme: Together on the Journey: Community, Empowerment, & Joy.

These words embody the heart of our mission—bringing transracially adopted children and their families together in a space of connection, learning, and growth. Each year, TRJ works to create a place where no one walks alone, where identity is celebrated, and where love is the foundation of everything we do.

It may feel like camp is a long way off, but it will be here before we know it! We are already preparing to welcome you back to Ohio University, where laughter will fill the air, friendships will deepen, and meaningful conversations will take place. Registration will open in March and we cannot wait to see both familiar and new faces join us on this incredible journey. As always, our theme will come to life with the help of our amazing Camp Co-Directors Mary and Karen along with our counselors, presenters and special guests.

Honoring Black history helps us celebrate the children entrusted to us through adoption and helps ensure a strong future. Doing this requires deep work to understand racial identity and belonging within a world that does not see the complexities of family separation and trauma. By committing to this work, we ensure that transracially adopted children are protected, seen, and valued for all that they are.

When we commit to this lifelong journey, we create the conditions for children to grow with confidence, cultural pride, and an unshakable sense of belonging. No matter how cold the climate may feel outside, TRJ is here to wrap you in warmth, understanding, and the unshakable knowledge that together the journey can be better and brighter.

We look forward to walking this journey with you. More on camp very soon! Until then, save the dates - July 30th- August 3rd.

Together, we’ll grow.

Together, we’ll heal.

Together, we’ll thrive.

With Love,
The TRJ Board of Directors & Executive Director

Book Corner – July 2024

Book Corner – Brooke Randolph: It’s Not About You

Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, & Open Adoption

It’s Not About You: Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, & Open Adoption is a book written for adoptive and birth parents and their therapists. After repetitive conversations with adopted persons (and sometimes their parents) about reactions to their search and reunion, Brooke knew adoptive and parents of origin needed a book on the topic.

Brooke is a therapist, author, speaker, trainer and an adoptive parent who enjoys sharing with groups of all sizes whether that is in person or online. Both therapeutically and personally, she is committed to never stop learning and growing. Primary specialties for Brooke include adoption competent therapy, Brainspotting, relationship building, and developmental trauma. Brooke is a certified Imago Relationship Therapist, a Certified Brainspotting Trainer & Consultant, and coordinator for the groups Brainspotting Indy and Brainspotting with Adoption.

This year, we are thrilled to have Brooke joining us at the Transracial Journeys Family Camp to help bring to life parent work sessions centered on creating a brighter path to inclusivity for transracially adopted persons as well as the extended family.

https://brooke-randolph.com/author-brooke/

Black Excellence – Isaac Etter

This month we are combining our Black Excellence and Book Corner featuring Isaac Etter. Isaac is a transracially adopted person and a social entrepreneur who founded Identity, a startup focused on helping adoptive and foster families thrive. At Identity, Isaac is working on re-imagining post-placement support for adoptive and foster families. He uses his story and deep passion for adoption and foster care education to bring relevant, quality, and diverse resources to adoptive and foster parents.

Isaac utilizes his experience of being adopted to curate deep conversations about race, identity, and adoption. With his unique insight, Isaac facilitates impactful discussions about adoption's impact on children and how parents can support their children in navigating identity and racial identity development. He specializes in helping child welfare professionals and parents understand the unique challenges and joys involved in transracial adoption and fostering.

A Practical Guide: Transracial Adoption.

As a special offer to the TRJ community, Issac has created a special offer - $17.75 for his Identity guide, A Practical Guide: Transracial Adoption. Now including two bonus chapters! One written by Julie Etter, adoptive mother, and an extended Q&A chapter.

Currently Isaac is working on releasing an update of his Black Hair Care guide to include QR links to explanations of tools, products, and also walkthroughs. Learn more about Issac and his work here and listen to monthly podcast episodes of Inside Transracial Adoption with his mom. Link: https://www.youtube.com/@identitylearning

Book Corner – Brooke Randolph: It’s Not About You

Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, & Open Adoption

It’s Not About You: Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, & Open Adoption is a book written for adoptive and birth parents and their therapists. After repetitive conversations with adopted persons (and sometimes their parents) about reactions to their search and reunion, Brooke knew adoptive and parents of origin needed a book on the topic.

Brooke is a therapist, author, speaker, trainer and an adoptive parent who enjoys sharing with groups of all sizes whether that is in person or online. Both therapeutically and personally, she is committed to never stop learning and growing. Primary specialties for Brooke include adoption competent therapy, Brainspotting, relationship building, and developmental trauma. Brooke is a certified Imago Relationship Therapist, a Certified Brainspotting Trainer & Consultant, and coordinator for the groups Brainspotting Indy and Brainspotting with Adoption.

This year, we are thrilled to have Brooke joining us at camp to help bring to life parent work sessions centered on creating a brighter path to inclusivity for transracially adopted persons as well as the extended family.

https://brooke-randolph.com/author-brooke/

Featured Guest and ‘Culture Keeper’ Rachel Briggs

Rachel Briggs is an elementary school science teacher at The Croft School in Providence, Rhode Island. She is a mixture of city and country, old school and contemporary. Her urban roots are deeply planted in Rhode Island; growing up with her mother, father, and 16 siblings. She graduated from Mount Pleasant High School as part of the Health Magnet program and went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology at Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

She earned a certificate in child advocacy from the RI Parent Information Network. Rachel also completed The Rhode Island Leadership Education in Neurodevelopment and Other Related Disabilities (RI LEND) training program which is designed to provide graduate level, interdisciplinary training to individuals from diverse professional disciplines and cultural backgrounds.

In addition to science, she is passionate about the welfare of children. In 2015, she adopted her five children, now ranging in age from 9 to 17. They are a constant source of inspiration for her professional endeavors. Rachel sits on the Race and Equity Parent Leaders of New England (PLNE) subcommittee, the Kinship Advisory Council, the Hasbro Children’s Hospital Parent Advisory Council and The Office of the Child Advocate Advisory Committee. She is dedicated to building the self-esteem and empowerment of children and hopes that her advocacy and community engagement will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the systems focusing on children.

Rachel is a member of the Rhode Island Black Storytellers, a non-profit based out of Providence, Rhode Island dedicated to promoting the awareness, appreciation, and application of Black storytelling. She considers herself a ‘culture keeper’ and adheres to the African tradition of oral storytelling to pass on wisdom, history, and cultural information to nurture a sense of community. Rachel is an emerging writer and spoken word poet. She is ‘solar powered’ and loves cookouts, gardening, camping and hiking. She is also known for dancing to live bands, and eating dessert before dinner! https://www.thecroftschool.org/rachelbriggs

Transracial Journeys envisions greater understanding of and support for transracially adopted persons and their families in all stages of life and sectors of society.

MISSION STATEMENT
With the best interests of transracially adopted persons at the center, Transracial Journeys provides practical tools and post adoption support for parents of a different race than the Black and Brown children entrusted to them and fosters supportive relationships for transracially adopted persons of all ages.

OUR GOALS:

Prioritizing representation for transracially adopted persons
Sharpening parental skills addressing the core issues of adoption and racism
Developing healthy racial identities for all members of the family
Encouraging greater cultural competence for parents
Promoting social justice and racial equity
Building a loving community

To learn more about our flagship event, Transracial Journeys Family Camp, go to our Family Camp page and check out our schedule of events. If you would like to be notified as future camp details become available, please make sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter by using the subscribe feature on the bottom of this page..

Speakers from Sage & Maven, Leadership & Social Justice Consultants

Transracial Journeys is pleased to announce Ryan Clopton-Zymler, MSSA and Phyllis Harris, MNO, the founders and social justice consultants of Sage and Maven, as featured presenters for Family Camp 2023.

Learn More & Lean-In: Expanding Our Understanding of Our Relationships

During Friday's topic “Learn More & Lean-In: Expanding Our Understanding of Our Relationships,” the founders of Sage & Maven will be joining us to speak and hold space for discussion about the complex and beautiful nature of transracial adoptions. Our time together will focus on three core areas; the first area is building healthy identities and a connection to self; the second area is understanding our relationship to core concepts of race and identity and it how affects our interpersonal relationships; and the last area is about what happens when those concepts cause tension within those relationships. We will use a mix of lecture, discussion, and interactive activities to create a lasting experience. In the afternoon we will have two breakout groups: 1) The Adult Child Perspective, and 2) The Adult Caregiver Perspective. Everyone will be in one group for half the session, then switch for the second half of the session.

Ryan Clopton-Zymler (he/they) is an activist, educator, emcee and advocate from Cleveland, Ohio. He is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, with a Master of Science in Social Administration and he received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ohio University. Ryan is a co-founder of Sage & Maven LLC, a for-profit consultancy that focuses on leadership and social justice.

Prior to becoming fully self-employed, Ryan served as the inaugural Director of Race, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (RDEI) at United Way of Greater Cleveland. His other recent career accomplishments have included serving as the inaugural Assistant Director for the Office of Inclusion for the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, Cleveland Campus, where they supported the launch of this department across three campuses. He also developed the community outreach and education program as the Community Relations Manager at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

Ryan’s career foundation is in community mental health and he has a rich history of working with youth and young adults. He is actively involved in the Cleveland social justice community - he currently sits on the board of directors for Preterm, has previously served on the board for Stonewall Sports Cleveland, and he has worked with national organizations including Planned Parenthood and GLAAD. Ryan is a skilled facilitator & certified mediator, has been recruited for speaking engagements nationally and internationally, and is considered an expert in social media and media advocacy.

Ryan is also a rotating host for area drag and burlesque shows, and a contributor the Ohio LGBTQ+ publication, the Buckeye Flame.

Phyllis "Seven" Harris’ 25+ years of experience with nonprofits, includes program management, fundraising, and upper-level management positions. For many years, she has played a strong role as an advocate in Cleveland’s LGBTQ+ community.

With the executive leadership of Ms. Harris since 2012, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland has experienced transformational growth and expansion. Today, Center patrons enjoy expanded programming for everyone from teens to families to seniors in their Gordon Square facility. In 2015, the Center launched Pride in the CLE, a family-oriented and community-driven LGBTQ Pride festival that the group continues to produce annually. In June 2019, Ms. Harris and her team moved in to a newly constructed facility that offers more space, accessibility, and versatility to serve the LGBTQ community.

Throughout her career, Ms. Harris has leveraged both her passion and her multi-faceted experience to lead the organization on a path of sustainable growth and vitality. Prior to joining the Center, Ms. Harris directed a major capital campaign for the Cleveland Sight Center, served as Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cleveland and spearheaded youth initiatives at Planned Parenthood of Northeast Ohio. Her leadership in local nonprofit circles also extends to service on local and national nonprofit boards including the Women of Color Foundation, Graffiti HeArt art museum and CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers.

She is a past recipient of the Cleveland Foundation’s Homer C. Wadsworth award, has completed a leadership fellowship with the Arcus Foundation and is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Cleveland. She recently served as I of 6 co-chairs of the Transition Team for the newly elected City of Cleveland Mayor, Justin Bibb.

Ms. Harris holds a master’s degree in non-profit management from Case Western Reserve University and a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace College. January 2022 she was recognized by Cleveland Magazine as one of CLE’s 500.

Transracial Journeys envisions greater understanding of and support for transracially adopted persons and their families in all stages of life and sectors of society.

MISSION STATEMENT
With the best interests of transracially adopted persons at the center, Transracial Journeys provides practical tools and post adoption support for parents of a different race than the Black and Brown children entrusted to them and fosters supportive relationships for transracially adopted persons of all ages.

OUR GOALS:

Prioritizing representation for transracially adopted persons
Sharpening parental skills addressing the core issues of adoption and racism
Developing healthy racial identities for all members of the family
Encouraging greater cultural competence for parents
Promoting social justice and racial equity
Building a loving community

To learn more about our flagship event, Transracial Journeys Family Camp, go to our Family Camp page and check out our schedule of events. If you would like to be notified as future camp details become available, please make sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter by using the subscribe feature on the bottom of this page..

Family Camp 2022 Highlights

Thank you to all our families that attended Transracial Journeys Family Camp 2022, “Commitment, Community, Courage and Culture”

This year, fifteen new families came to camp for the first time. They were hosted by the board and given an introduction to our community at our first ever New Family Orientation. We hosted a bibliotherapeutic book sale, we toasted marshmallows for smores and had a great talent show. Some of us fished and some of us tumbled with Mr. Todd. A lot of us tie-dyed our camp t-shirts. And one thing is beyond certain, we could not have done anything without our amazing camp counselors!

Our parents attended sessions curated by Executive Director, April Dinwoodie, and facilitated by transracially-adopted presenters Zack Fried and Hannah Jackson Matthews. They each discussed our families’ unique challenges in navigating racism. Avril Sargeant, LPCC focused her seminar on resilience. Megan and Jeffrey Bain discussed their connections to their children’s family of origin.

We recognize our parents, our children and our Transracial Journeys community for making Family Camp 2022 so special. We appreciate each of them contributing to an environment of joy, connection and transformation that happened at our Family Camp this summer.

For sharing any photos on Instagram, please photo credit by adding in the caption, "Photo Credit: @Adam_Michaels and @jade_hambrick." On Facebook please credit facebook.com/adammichaels87.

Megan and Jeffrey Bain Present on Creating Connections to Families of Origin

Megan and Jeffrey Bain became foster parents in 2018, hoping to open their home as a resource for children and families. Shortly after that they adopted their son, becoming white parents to a Black child. Since then they have been working to advocate for their son’s right to have connections with his biological family members.

Jeff works as a Network Engineering manager for a non-profit. He is currently in the process of completing his MBA. Megan is a doula, working closely with all kinds of families during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. She holds an M.Ed in Early Childhood Development and Family Studies. She has been able to apply that background knowledge as she is constantly learning as an adoptive parent.

Transracial Journeys is a social and educational organization designed to provide practical tools and support for families experiencing transracial adoption. Our goals include:

Building community and promoting racial justice and equity
Developing healthy racial identity for all members of the family
Encouraging greater cultural competence for parents
Fostering a deeper understanding of core issues of adoption

To learn more about our flagship event, Transracial Journeys Family Camp, go to our Family Camp page and check out our schedule of events. If you would like to be notified as future camp details become available, please make sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter by using the subscribe feature on the bottom of this page..

Zack Fried: Recognizing Challenges of Transracial Adoption Today

Zack facilitates a support group for adoptees over the age of 18 called Adoptee Circle of Experience (A.C.E.). Zack has 9 siblings, including 5 who were adopted, and has always felt that real and personal adoption experiences can often be the most authentic inspiration for others who are touched by adoption.

Zack has worked in the field of adoption for almost a decade and a half, and is Adoption STAR’s Associate Director. Zack is extremely grateful to not only have personal life experience in the realm of adoption, but that this personal passion is also a professional one. Zack feels one can never meet too many individuals who are touched by adoption!

Transracial Journeys is a social and educational organization designed to provide practical tools and support for families experiencing transracial adoption. Our goals include:

Building community and promoting racial justice and equity
Developing healthy racial identity for all members of the family
Encouraging greater cultural competence for parents
Fostering a deeper understanding of core issues of adoption

To learn more about our flagship event, Transracial Journeys Family Camp, go to our Family Camp page and check out our schedule of events. If you would like to be notified as future camp details become available, please make sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter by using the subscribe feature on the bottom of this page..

TRJ Announces Hannah Jackson Matthews M.S. Ed as a Featured Speaker for 2022

Transracial Journeys is pleased to announce Hannah Jackson Matthews, M.S. Ed., as a featured presenter for Family Camp 2022, August 4-7th. Hannah will be sharing her experiences and expertise helping us to better understand the importance of connections to family and culture of origin as well as how to navigate racism. As a writer, an educator, a speaker and a transracial adoptees champion, Hannah has made it her mission to advocate for the needs of transracial adoptees. Matthews, a transracial adoptee herself, offers invaluable insight, experience and passion as she works to support transracial adoptees by helping to shift the responsibility of facing the realities of racism from the adoptee to their adoptive parents.

Without the racial literacy necessary to navigate racism, the endless song playing in her childhood mind was "I don't belong".

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, to a white birth mother and Black birth father, Hannah Jackson Matthews, M.S. Ed. was adopted privately and domestically adopted. The Jacksons eagerly brought home their last baby and only baby girl and raised her in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Matthews enjoyed romping around her suburban neighborhood with her older brothers. And despite the simple joys of childhood, it seemed her joys were often being interrupted by the bias and discrimination of others.

In a town comprised of not even one percent of people who shared Matthews' brown skin and curly hair, she didn't know how to navigate these painful experiences. Deeply lonely and insecure, she longingly searched for if and where she belonged.

Her journey seeking what was missing continued on for years. In those years, Matthews found solace in the croon of Ella Fitzgerald, the flowing poetry of Q-Tip, the prose of Audre Lorde. She found beautiful friendships within my racial community. She found love with a beautiful Black man and in their two incredible children.

Ultimately, with all of the help of those previously listed, and many more, she found herself. She discovered that in many ways, she was what she was missing. Today Matthews works tirelessly to support transracial adoptees as they find all the magic that they are, too.

Transracial Journeys is a social and educational organization designed to provide practical tools and support for families experiencing transracial adoption. Our goals include:

Building community and promoting racial justice and equity
Developing healthy racial identity for all members of the family
Encouraging greater cultural competence for parents
Fostering a deeper understanding of core issues of adoption

To learn more about our flagship event, Transracial Journeys Family Camp, go to our Family Camp page and check out our schedule of events. If you would like to be notified as future camp details become available, please make sure to sign-up for our monthly newsletter by using the subscribe feature on the bottom of this page..

A Champion of Community Engagement

Honoring African American STEAM Pioneers

For more information about Rachel Briggs:

Black Excellence Posts:

Pictures from 2024 Transracial Journeys Family Camp at Ohio University

Book Corner – Brooke Randolph: It’s Not About You

Understanding Adoptee Search, Reunion, & Open Adoption

A Practical Guide: Transracial Adoption.

More About Rachel

Rachel Briggs

More About Transracial Journeys

For More Family Camp Featured Speakers:

Learn More & Lean-In: Expanding Our Understanding of Our Relationships

More About Ryan

Ryan Clopton-Zymler, MSSA

More About Phyllis

Phyllis Harris, MNO

More About Transracial Journeys

For More Family Camp Featured Speakers:

More About Megan and Jeffrey

More About Transracial Journeys

For More Family Camp Featured Speakers:

More About Zack

More About Transracial Journeys

For More Family Camp Featured Speakers:

More About Hannah

More About Transracial Journeys

For More Family Camp Featured Speakers: