A Multiracial Family’s Message: Love Builds Families, Not Appearance
A Motto Built on Love
Sadie and Jarvis Sampson share a simple message: “Families don’t have to match.”
For them, it’s more than a phrase—it’s a guiding belief about what makes a family real: love, commitment, and care, not skin color or physical resemblance.
Who They Are
- Sadie Sampson, 26
- Jarvis Sampson, 28
- Their children:
- Ezra (3 years old) — white
- Journee (18 months old) — white and Mexican
- Destinee (18 months old) — white and Mexican
Sadie and Jarvis are Black, and their family often stands out in public—something they’ve learned to navigate with intention.
Their Road to Parenthood
The Sampsons’ path to building their family included both adoption and fertility challenges.
- The couple struggled with infertility for more than two years.
- In 2019, they adopted Ezra when he was 5 days old.
Sadie shared that Jarvis initially felt uncertain about adopting a child of a different race, especially because of his upbringing and limited exposure to white communities.
Facing Concerns About Transracial Adoption
Sadie explained that Jarvis once asked: “How are we supposed to raise a white child?”
Her response was direct and grounded: “You raise them just like you would any other kid.”
And when Jarvis finally held Ezra, Sadie said everything changed—his fear dissolved into clarity and connection. Ezra felt like family immediately.
Growing Their Family Through Embryo Donation
In April 2021, the Sampsons welcomed twins Journee and Destinee, after Sadie became pregnant using donated embryos.
Key details about that decision:
- The embryos were created by another couple who had built their own family through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
- Sadie said she wanted the experience of carrying a pregnancy.
- She connected with the donor family through Peanut, an online community for women.
- She described being overwhelmed—in a good way—by how many people responded with willingness to help.
An Open Relationship With the Donor Family
Sadie emphasized the Sampsons’ priorities were never about race or ethnicity. Their main goal was building an open, ongoing relationship with the donor family.
What that looks like in real life:
- The donor family is involved in meaningful ways
- They attend birthday parties and holidays
- The relationship is described as warm, present, and supportive
Sadie said this is exactly what they hoped for: a connected, extended family model.
Public Reactions and the Pressure to “Prove” Motherhood
Sadie shared that when she is out with her children, she sometimes finds herself announcing her relationship to them out loud.
Examples of what she says in public:
- “Come to Mommy.”
- “Give Mommy a kiss.”
She explained she does this to make it unmistakably clear that these are her children, because strangers sometimes assume otherwise.
Sadie says she has experienced:
- People asking if she is the nanny
- People asking if she is babysitting
- Stares and judgment because it feels “taboo” to some that a Black woman could have children who aren’t Black
Fear of Escalation
Sadie mentioned a close friend, Keia Jones-Baldwin, who is also a Black woman raising a white child. Her friend has reportedly been accused of kidnapping—twice—and carries adoption papers for protection.
Sadie noted that it hasn’t happened to her yet, but she believes it could in the future.
Turning Their Experience Into Education
Sadie uses her platform to challenge narrow ideas of what families “should” look like. Through her YouTube channel and social media, she encourages people to understand that families can be formed in many ways.
Her core message remains consistent:
- Families come in different sizes, shapes, and colors
- What matters is love
- Families don’t have to match—they are built on love
