Welcome to Rhonda M. Roorda's Media Resource Page
Here you'll find background information, interview topics, suggested questions, book information, credentials and selected media and consulting experience to help you prepare for an interview, feature, broadcast, podcast or moderated discussion.
Rhonda M. Roorda, B.A., M.A.
Rhonda M. Roorda is an award-winning author, speaker, executive coach and consultant whose work explores transracial adoption, race, identity, belonging and communication across difference.
A Black transracial adoptee adopted from New York foster care at age two into a white American family, Rhonda brings both lived experience and more than two decades of professional engagement with adoption, family and racial identity.
Five books addressing transracial adoption, race, family, identity and belonging.
National speaker for adoption, family, education, faith and community audiences.
Communication, leadership and navigating difference.
Consultant to the Emmy-winning television series This Is Us.
30+ years in workers' compensation fund administration, including 14 years as Fund Administrator.
About Rhonda
Rhonda M. Roorda, B.A., M.A., is an award-winning author, speaker, executive coach and consultant whose career and scholarship sit at the intersection of race, identity, adoption, communication and belonging.
Adopted from New York foster care at age two by a white American family of Dutch descent, Rhonda grew up navigating the complexities of being Black in a white adoptive family. Her lived experience became the foundation for a body of work that has helped families, professionals and communities examine transracial adoption beyond simplified ideas about race and colorblindness.
Rhonda is the author of five books, including the landmark adoption trilogy coauthored with the late Dr. Rita J. Simon and her newest book, Torn from the Root: A Memoir of a Black Transracial Adoptee.
Her expertise has also extended into television consulting. Rhonda served as a consultant for the Emmy-winning television series This Is Us, bringing relevant lived and professional expertise to the series' exploration of transracial adoption, race, family and identity.
She holds a B.A. in Telecommunications–Strategic Communication from Calvin University and an M.A. in Communication–Urban Studies from Michigan State University. In addition to her writing and speaking career, Rhonda brings 30+ years of professional leadership in workers' compensation fund administration.
Torn from the Root
A Memoir of a Black Transracial Adoptee
In this deeply personal memoir, Rhonda M. Roorda examines the experience of growing up Black in a white adoptive family and the lifelong questions of identity, belonging, race and roots that followed her adoption from foster care.
The memoir offers an intimate look at birth-family separation, the realities of transracial adoption and the limits of colorblind approaches to race and family.
Explore the Book →Areas of Expertise
Transracial Adoption
The lived experience, complexities and long-term realities of raising children across racial and cultural lines.
Black Adoptee Voices
Centering the perspectives and experiences of Black and transracial adoptees.
Race & Identity
Understanding how race, identity and belonging develop within families and communities.
Family & Belonging
Conversations about family relationships, difference, identity and what it means to truly belong.
Communication Across Difference
Helping organizations and individuals navigate difficult conversations with greater understanding and intention.
Leadership & Professional Development
Executive coaching and consulting informed by decades of leadership, communication and organizational experience.
Suggested Interview Questions
What does it mean to grow up Black in a white adoptive family?
What inspired you to write Torn from the Root?
How did being adopted from foster care shape your understanding of identity and belonging?
Why isn't love alone enough to prepare families for transracial adoption?
What are the limitations of colorblind approaches to adoption?
What do adoptive parents need to understand about racial identity?
How can professionals better support Black children and transracial adoptive families?
What have more than two decades of adoption advocacy and scholarship taught you?
How can families talk honestly about race without creating fear or division?
What does meaningful belonging look like for an adopted person?
Selected Media & Professional Platforms
Rhonda's work has reached national audiences through television, print, podcasts, public conversations and professional consulting. Her television consulting experience includes the Emmy-winning series This Is Us.
Television Consulting
Rhonda served as a consultant for the Emmy-winning television series This Is Us, contributing expertise related to transracial adoption, race, family and identity.
Media & Public Conversation
Rhonda has participated in national media interviews and public conversations focused on adoption, race, identity, family, belonging and the experiences of transracial adoptees.
Five Books. Decades of Conversation.
Torn from the Root: A Memoir of a Black Transracial Adoptee
Temple University Press • 2026
In Their Voices: Black Americans on Transracial Adoption
Columbia University Press • 2015 • Choice Outstanding Academic Title
In Their Own Voices: Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories
Columbia University Press • 2000 • Coauthored with Dr. Rita J. Simon
In Their Parents' Voices: Reflections on Raising Transracial Adoptees
Columbia University Press • 2007 • Coauthored with Dr. Rita J. Simon
In Their Siblings' Voices: White Non-Adopted Siblings Talk About Their Experiences Being Raised with Black and Biracial Brothers and Sisters
Columbia University Press • 2009 • Coauthored with Dr. Rita J. Simon
Professional Experience & Awards
Education & Leadership
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M.A. in Communication–Urban Studies
Michigan State University -
B.A. in Telecommunications–Strategic Communication
Calvin University - 30+ years in workers' compensation fund administration
- 14 years as Fund Administrator
- Calvin University Alumni Board
- Calvin University Board Secretary and Executive Member of the Board of Trustees
Awards & Recognition
- 2024 Adoption Knowledge Affiliates Vanguard Adoption Award
- 2022 Richard K. Ransom Award, Adopt America Network
- 2017 NACAC Friend of Children and Youth Award
- 2010 Judge John P. Steketee Adoption Hero Award
- 30th Annual New York Book Show — Third Place
Resources for Journalists & Producers
Book Information
Publication information, book descriptions and links for Rhonda's five books are available through the Books section of this website.
Media & Interviews
Selected television, podcast, print and public appearances provide additional context for Rhonda's work and areas of expertise.
Photography
High-resolution author photography and additional press assets are available upon request.
Interview Topics
Rhonda is available for conversations about transracial adoption, Black adoptee experiences, race, identity, belonging, communication and family.
For producers and journalists: Please indicate your outlet, story or program, deadline, format, interview length and preferred contact method when reaching out.
Interested in an Interview or Feature?
For interview requests, podcast invitations, broadcast appearances, book features, moderated conversations and other media inquiries, please contact Rhonda with the details of your story, program or event.
Please include your outlet, topic, deadline and preferred format.
Explore Rhonda's Body of Work
Discover all five books spanning more than two decades of writing, research, storytelling and advocacy on transracial adoption, race, identity, family and belonging.