West Michigan Adoptee Meet Up

At the Intersection of Truth, Race and Identity. A Spotlight Interview with Ned Andree, Hosted by Tiana Hawver
Adoptee Advocates of Michigan presents a special, in-depth conversation between two Michigan transracial adoptees, Ned Andree and Tiana Hawver, exploring the intersection of adoptee identity, racial justice, and the urgent realities facing adoptees of color today. Guided by interviewer Tiana Hawver—speaker, writer, and creator of Reconnecting the Dots—Ned reflects on how his experiences as a biracial adoptee have influenced his community advocacy, his commitment to adoptee rights, and his recent traumatic encounter with police in Grand Rapids.

Together, they will examine how race, adoption secrecy, and state-controlled identity access shape the lives of adult adoptees, and why Michigan’s restrictive laws continue to harm the people they were designed to protect. This dialogue offers an intimate look at the emotional, political, and personal stakes for adoptees navigating identity in a polarized climate—particularly those who, like Ned and Tiana, live at the intersection of racial marginalization.

This event will be a meaningful, honest, and necessary conversation for adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and advocates committed to justice and truth in adoption.

AAOM Speaker Series, Presented by the Adoptee Advocates of Michigan (AAOM)
For this special session of the AAOM Speaker Series, transracial adoptee, speaker, writer, and filmmaker Tiana Hawver will step in as host in place of our regular series host, Anna Sarkitova. Tiana brings her lived experience and her work on the documentary Reconnecting the Dots to the role, offering a deep understanding of the racial, emotional, and psychological complexities connected to adoption. She will also serve as an occasional host for future events in the series. As part of AAOM’s ongoing effort to elevate adoptee voices, we are excited to have Tiana lead this important conversation and help carry forward these vital community dialogues.

The AAOM Speaker Series is part of our grassroots fundraising campaign in support of our activism, community building, educational and legislative outreach where we work hard to bring adoptee voices directly to the people, families, and policymakers who need to hear them. As a volunteer-run organization, your support helps us compensate our speakers and sustain these vital conversations within the community.

Whether you are an adoptee, a member of the adoption constellation, or a passionate ally, this series is a great opportunity to stay informed, get inspired, and support the voices that too often go unheard in adoption.

Suggested donation: $10 (or more if you are able)
Get Tickets Here

Can’t donate? Come anyway- your presence matters.
We hope to see you at this important conversation.

A Conversation on Reunion and Healing: A Birth Mother-Daughter Dialogue

Join Anna Sarkitova for a heartfelt conversation with Linda Reboulet and Louise Okuri, a birth mother and daughter whose reunion after a private adoption grew into a shared commitment to healing, learning, and community support. In 2024 they decided to give back to the community that helped them through their reunion journey, and they created Traveling Together thru Trauma as a way to bring together all sides of the same experience. Today their group includes participants from around the world, including people with overlapping identities and histories.

At this event, Linda and Louise will explore the complex realities of reunion, including what helps, what harms, and what families can expect as they begin rebuilding connection. They will share strategies that have helped them make the most of their reunited relationship and discuss why they chose to move into advocacy together. They will also reflect on how working within the larger Traveling Together thru Trauma constellation has strengthened their growth and supported their work with others.

Having recently presented Let’s Talk About Reunion at the 2025 Adoption Network Cleveland Conference and You’ve Got Siblings Panel at the 2025 Concerned United Birthparents Conference, Linda and Louise bring the combined insight of lived experience and community leadership. Their perspective highlights the voices too often left out of adoption policy conversations and challenges outdated narratives that still shape the lives of adopted people and their families.

Together, they invite you to a conversation that honors truth, connection, and the ongoing effort to build supportive spaces for all those impacted by adoption.

Suggested donation: $10 (or more if you are able)
Get Tickets Here

Can’t donate? Come anyway- your presence matters.
We hope to see you at this important conversation.

***

AAOM Speaker Series, hosted by Anna Sarkitova Presented by the Adoptee Advocates of Michigan (AAOM)
This interview is part of our new speaker series hosted by Anna Sarkitova, international adoptee, advocate, and proud Adoptee Advocates of Michigan board member. In each session, Anna will sit down with powerful authors, community leaders, and changemakers who are advancing justice, visibility, and equity for adoptees and their families.

The AAOM Speaker Series is part of our grassroots fundraising campaign in support of our activism, community building, educational and legislative outreach where we work hard to bring adoptee voices directly to the people, families, and policymakers who need to hear them. As a volunteer-run organization, your support helps us compensate our speakers and sustain these vital conversations within the community.

Whether you are an adoptee, a member of the adoption constellation, or a passionate ally, this series is a great opportunity to stay informed, get inspired, and support the voices that too often go unheard in adoption.

**Living the Intersections: Adoption, Race, and Gender with Sanjay Pulver **Event Spotlight: A Conversation with Sanjay Pulver, Hosted by Anna Sarkitova 🌈

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as adoptee advocate Sanjay Pulver sits down with Anna Sarkitova, IC transracial adoptee, to explore the intersections of being transnational, transracial, and transgender within the adoptee experience.

Sanjay was born near Hyderabad and spent his earliest months in institutional and foster care before being brought to the United States at 13 months old. Though raised as an only child, he has a large biological family in India, including a fraternal twin brother. Sanjay came out as gay in high school, began his gender transition in 2014, and found the adoptee community in 2020. Since then, he has become an active and outspoken voice in adoptee rights, adoption abolition, and LGBTQ advocacy.

This conversation will explore how Sanjay navigates the intertwined realities of race, nationality, gender, and adoption, and how these experiences have shaped his advocacy, his relationships, and his understanding of self. We look forward to holding space for his insight, candor, and lived wisdom.

Suggested donation: $10 (or more if you are able)
Get Tickets Here

Can’t donate? Come anyway- your presence matters.
We hope to see you at this important conversation.

***

AAOM Speaker Series, hosted by Anna Sarkitova Presented by the Adoptee Advocates of Michigan (AAOM)
This interview is part of our new speaker series hosted by Anna Sarkitova, international adoptee, advocate, and proud Adoptee Advocates of Michigan board member. In each session, Anna will sit down with powerful authors, community leaders, and changemakers who are advancing justice, visibility, and equity for adoptees and their families.

The AAOM Speaker Series is part of our grassroots fundraising campaign in support of our activism, community building, educational and legislative outreach where we work hard to bring adoptee voices directly to the people, families, and policymakers who need to hear them. As a volunteer-run organization, your support helps us compensate our speakers and sustain these vital conversations within the community.

Whether you are an adoptee, a member of the adoption constellation, or a passionate ally, this series is a great opportunity to stay informed, get inspired, and support the voices that too often go unheard in adoption.

HOW TO APPLY FOR YOUR MICHIGAN BIRTH INFORMATION
ADOPTEE WORKSHOP

This online workshop is designed for Michigan Adult Adoptees who are struggling to navigate the process of trying to get their birth information from the state of Michigan. This event is regularly hosted the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30pm EST.

Get help and expert advice on how to get the information you are looking for such as how to request and fill out forms or get a court order, who to contact, what questions to ask, etc.

Susan Christin is a founding member of Adoptee Advocates of Michigan and has facilitated more than 200 reunions between biological family members and adopted people through her service as a search angel. She has extensive experience in helping people get their information. Please RSVP if you can commit to attending.

Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85402508162
Meeting ID: 854 0250 8162

https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/85402508162/invitations?signature=gjkNBTymaxOp7eTARomm8y1coD5vLmK0F8tC_QRNtnU
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