TITLE: Black Adoptees and the Complexities of Same Race Adoption

DESCRIPTION:

This conversation centers Black adoptees who were raised in same race families and explores the complexities of that experience. Panelists will discuss how adoption shaped their racial and ethnic identity, sense of belonging, and connection to Black culture. They will also share the ways they navigated assumptions, expectations, and realities of being both Black and adopted.

Points to Ponder:

Why is it important to talk about race and culture even when children are adopted into families that are perceived to be the same race?
What challenges or benefits can this perception create?
How do race and adoption shape a person’s sense of identity and belonging?

PANELISTS:

Amik Brown Ebanks (she/her) Amik is an adoptee who was in foster care before being adopted, now with five children of her own. She is a one and only generation foster or adoptee. She is the self published author of “Healing Hurts Like Hell”, and is a community leader who contributes to mental health and peer support. Amik is a survivor of severe childhood trauma and she uses it to help guide others, especially youth who are fostered/adopted. She came to this panel to use her voice to possibly inspire and help motivate others. She also wants to meet her community and possibly make connections.

Sandi Morgan Caesar (she/her)

Sandi Morgan Caesar is a transnational adoptee from Panamá & social worker. She is the co-facilitator of Adoption Network Cleveland’s Transnational Adoptee Support Group & member of the BADAN (network of Black adoptees) team. She has extensive work experience in child welfare. Born Cristina Rodriguez to a 14yo girl who parented her for most of her 1st year, Sandi was placed for adoption by her grandmother without her 1st mother’s knowledge or consent. Sandi was adopted by a Black US Air Force family stationed in Panamá. She was naturalized as a US citizen & brought to the US at 3yo. Sandi has been reunited with her 1st mother & maternal family in Panamá since 2004. Sandi holds a BS degree in Human Development from Howard University & an MSW from Indiana University. Sandi believes adoptee voices, often overlooked, are critical to the conversation about adoption, & is thankful to have this opportunity to tell her story.

Nomi-Kaie Bennett (she/her)

Nomi is a same-race Black adoptee with Bahamian roots. She was raised by Black-American parents in a predominantly White, rural Upstate NY village. Although she grew up in a proudly Black household, her childhood had limited Black community and cultural influence. Nomi attended Howard University after she graduated from high school— a decision that changed the trajectory of her life and facilitated full immersion into Black culture and community. While at Howard, she developed curiosity about her Black-American and Bahamian backgrounds, which later evolved into exploring the intersection of her Black and adoptee identities. She returned to Upstate NY after graduation to work as a clinical psychologist in a medical setting. She is excited to be on this panel because she celebrates amplifying the voices and experiences of Black adoptees and former foster youth across the diaspora, which includes centering the diverse experiences of those who were raised in Black families.

Kevin Anthony Johnson (he/him)

Kevin Anthony Johnson is an adoptee who was placed at birth and adopted at age two. He learned of his adoption at age eleven when questions about his appearance prompted his adoptive family to reveal the truth—an experience that shaped his understanding of belonging, identity, and the impact of family secrets that are "felt but not spoken." Kevin is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and executive leadership strategist who has spent 25+ years helping leaders navigate culture, change, and human-centered leadership across six continents. After forty-five years of separation, Kevin reunited with both sides of his birth family—a transformative experience that deepened his understanding of how adoption shapes attachment, relationship patterns, and the ongoing work of integration. He is eager to join this panel to explore how adoption influences our capacity for vulnerability, trust, and authentic connection, and to contribute to conversations that center adoptee voices and lived experience in reframing adoption narratives.

Support Panelist - Maya Holmes (she/her)

Maya Holmes is a same race domestic adoptee. She was adopted in the 90s from a Lutheran agency located in St. Louis, MO. She grew up with an older brother who was also adopted six years prior. She reunited with her birth family in 2020 and became active in the adoption community in 2021. Maya has been featured on several podcasts such as "The Adoptee Next Door” by Angela Tucker and "Black to the Beginning" by Dr. Sam and Sandria. Outside of the adoption space, she is a mental health therapist in training with plans to start her own private practice within the next 10 years. In her free time, she enjoys pottery, rock climbing, and traveling. She is excited about this panel because it gives the experiences and voices of same race adoptees a chance to be elevated.