Sharon Obazee is accomplished in vast areas.  Her life passion and mission truly began when she was adopted at nine months and was the first of 5 unrelated adopted children.  Her appreciation and respect grew for her parents while immensely witnessing a revolving door of over 300 foster children.  Rather than allow life's occurrences to fracture Mrs. Obazee, she prevailed.  She paved an existence, obtaining self-acceptance, pursuing unfathomable dreams, and embodying confidence and conviction to support others.

Born during the Baby Scoop Era, relinquished at birth, and adopted shortly thereafter, I began the search for my birth-family at the age of 15, but was strongly discouraged by an adoption social worker. Finally, in my 50’s, I found the courage to undertake my search and discovered that despite my best efforts to deny it, the experience of being adopted permeated just about every aspect of my life. Taking this journey has been essential and healing. I highly recommend it. Surround yourself with people who will support you as you learn your origin story and weave it into your history. You deserve your truth.

LaWanda is a white adoptive mom to two transracial adoptees. When she and her husband began their adoption journey seventeen years ago, there was very little education on adoption apart from attachment disorders. Six years later, after adopting their second child, LaWanda had an emotional breakdown as she realized, and literally felt, the complete devastation of adoption. She spent nighttime feedings crying for the postpartum mama that was trying to dry up her milk. She grieved for her son who didn’t recognize her voice as familiar. Since that time LaWanda has tried to educate herself through reading and listening to as many adoptee and birth mom voices as she can. In 2017, the universe gifted her a beautiful friendship with a birth mom. From that friendship, she has grown leaps and bounds in understanding the complexity that is adoption, and has begun to find her voice in the adoption community. She is now an advocate for reunification and supporting birth parents in parenting through organizations like SAFE FAMILIES. She also supports transparency, ethical practices and education in adoption agencies.