TRJ

Save The Date! TRJ Family Camp 2026

Ohio University | July 30 - August 2, 2026

We are excited to announce that TRJ Family Camp 2026 will be back on the beautiful campus of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio for the fourth year.

To ensure that you are receiving the most up-to-date information about TRJ and camp announcements, please add info@transracialjourneys.org to your address book, sign up for the monthly newsletter, and to be the first to know, text "TRJ" to 866-578-0568.

TRJ was born out of the need for greater understanding of and support for transracially adopted persons and their families in all stages of life and sectors of society. Founded by an adoptive parent in 2013, TRJ began hosting a 4-day family camp for the Black and Brown adopted children and their white adoptive parents to come together to explore issues of adoption, identity, and race with the support of counselors for the children and outside speakers for the adults. Children and their parents found a safe space to have challenging discussions, friendships developed, and a geographically dispersed community took root.

TRJ Annual Family Camp continues to be our primary programming and highlight of the year. Families return year after year. New families join. Older campers became counselors-in-training and then counselors.

Post-Adoption Resources

As there are few resources in the adoption field that specifically provide post-adoption support for transracial families, TRJ has developed additional online and physical resources for families to successfully navigate issues all year long.

● TRJ Monthly Email Newsletter with articles related to the monthly themes connected to transracial adoption, celebrates Black excellence, and highlights books that integrate adoption into the story. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER

● TRJ texting platform. Text "TRJ" to 866-578-0568 to get real time information. Message and Data rates may apply.

● TRJ Monthly Parent Meet-ups to talk with other adoptive parents about the monthly theme or adoption-related issues that are happening in your life. (Zoom link provided in our monthly email newsletter)

● TRJ/June-in-April Activity Deck has a card for each month of the year that connects with the monthly theme and poses corresponding questions, conversation starters, or prompts for having more regular and intentional conversations about adoption, identity and differences of race. The cards are designed for children to ask parents the questions and spark reflections and conversations. (Email info@transracialjourneys.org for more information)

● TRJ Consulting Support to organize a mini-TRJ Camp in your area in collaboration with your local social service/post-adoption support agency. (Email info@transracialjourneys.org for more information)

Adoption is often spoken about in terms of love and gratitude, but the reality is more layered. Transracially adopted children grow up navigating profound questions of identity, belonging, and cultural connection—often in families and communities that don’t fully understand their lived experience. Without intentional support, these children can feel isolated in both their racial and adoptive identities, caught between worlds that don’t always see or affirm them.

This is why TRJ exists. We are more than an organization—we are a movement, a home, and a place of transformation. TRJ ensures that transracially adopted persons and their families don’t have to navigate this journey alone. We provide spaces where transracially adopted persons can be fully seen and heard, where parents can grow in their ability to support children, and where community becomes the foundation for healing, identity, and empowerment.

Latest from Our Newsletter

Kwanzaa, Adoption, and the Work of Remaking What Matters

by April Dinwoodie TRJ Executive Director Growing up as a mixed-race Black child adopted into a white family, the holidays were full of excitement — the lights, the treats, the special once-a-year traditions. But they were also exhausting. Exhaustion from wondering about my family of origin. Exhaustion from not seeing myself reflected anywhere around the table. Exhaustion from hearing racially or culturally insensitive comments from extended family members. Exhaustion from pretending everything felt the same for me as it did read more

Book Corner – December 2025

Cemetery Songs Julie Gilbert Grades 8-12 Polly Stone lives with her white, adoptive parents in semi-rural Minnesota. When Polly’s biological mom dies from cancer, she runs across state lines to make it to her funeral or at least visit her grave. The police find Polly and return her back home. While mourning her loss, she decides to burn her adoption papers in a pile of kindling close to her school. The fire gets out of control and burns school property. read more

Black Excellence – Dr. Maulana Karenga

The end of the year invites reflection on our most cherished traditions. For the Black community, this reflection is often rooted in the dynamic legacy of Dr. Maulana Karenga, the scholar and activist who gifted the world with Kwanzaa in 1966. His creation is the ultimate example of an evolving tradition, offering a profound cultural framework for African Americans to celebrate themselves, their history, and their future during the December holiday season. Kwanzaa, celebrated from December 26th to January 1st, read more

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