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You can spend decades feeling like your story starts in the middle, then one DNA match changes everything. We sit down with Pekitta Tynes, a professional comedian, inspirational speaker, and the author of Thank God I Was Adopted Because DNA Is No Joke, and she brings humor and honesty to the parts of adoption that are hard to say out loud. Pekitta was abandoned without a birth certificate, moved through foster care, and was adopted at nine, which meant even basic facts like a birth date had to be guessed and assigned just so life could move forward. We talk through what it really takes to begin an adoption search when you have missing records and big emotions. Pekitta shares the early clues that helped her keep going, the role of adoptee support groups in learning the language of adoption trauma, and the practical reality that some people will not talk, not help, or will disappear into silence. We also dig into the difference between closed adoption and open adoption, and why secrecy can echo for years in identity, trust, and relationships.

Then we get into the DNA testing side: AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and deeper analysis tools, plus what it feels like to see a first cousin match show up on your screen. Pekitta is clear about the warning label here: DNA can give you answers, but it can also hand you truths you did not expect, so emotional preparation matters. We close with one of her best takeaways for adoptees and anyone carrying unresolved pain: write it down, tell the story, and let the feelings rise so you can finally process them.

If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with someone who is searching, and leave a review so more adoptees and families can find this podcast.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

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Adoption can hold joy and ache in the same breath. We open with reunion—meeting a sister after years—and the quiet courage of calling a birth parent “mom,” even while honoring the mother who raised us. From there, we move through grief, village support, and a practical update on a genealogy case that’s finally in motion. The heart of our conversation explores transracial adoption: why the numbers are growing, how economics and systems shape who adopts, and what it really takes to raise a child whose race and culture differ from your own.

We get specific. Representation starts with small choices—books and dolls that look like your child—and grows into bigger commitments: finding mentors and barbers, choosing teachers and communities that reflect them, and learning the language of care. For Black girls, hair is identity and dignity; we unpack the Crown Act’s context and why hair literacy is parenting, not a nice-to-have. We also share ten insights gathered from adult transracial adoptees: love deeply, talk about race and adoption early and often, build mixed-race friendships, and never pretend differences don’t exist. A diverse neighborhood helps, but it won’t do the work for you.

Ethical questions surface—cultural loss, power imbalances, and the dangers of a rescue mindset—and we answer with intentional parenting: relationship over rescue, respect over control, listening over certainty. Along the way, we highlight Sandra Bullock’s public blueprint for awareness-driven love: celebrate heritage, prepare kids for bias, and keep learning. If family is commitment plus culture, the job is to widen the table so children can hold all their parts with pride.

If this conversation moved you, follow So I’m Adopted on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, share this episode with a friend, and leave a review so more families can find us. What’s one small act that made you feel seen? Tell us.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

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What happens when the truth comes early, a storm knocks out the island’s power, and a single name spoken in a courtroom echoes for decades? We bring you Jennifer’s journey—from being adopted at two days old on Guam to leading an NYC adoption agency for older youth—and the winding path between belonging, uncertainty, and grace.

We talk about the power of honest language in childhood and how it turns “You’re adopted” from a weapon into a badge of identity. Jennifer shares how race and visibility shaped daily life when strangers questioned family resemblance, and why being the only sibling placed for adoption can hold both gratitude and unanswered why. A typhoon delayed the phone lines, a JAG attorney steadied the process, and years later a letter reopened a closed adoption with care, caution, and compassion. The first reunion happened at a family gathering; the next brought both families together, proof that love can hold complexity without breaking.

We go deep on adoption‑competent therapy—why standard counseling often stalls with adoptee‑specific trauma, ambiguous loss, and reunion dynamics, and how specialized clinicians change the work. Jennifer traces her calling to public service, moving to New York, and stepping into leadership at an agency that finds families for teens in foster care. The job brings vicarious trauma, but also purpose: a daily commitment to permanence, safety, and dignity for youth who’ve been told they don’t matter.

If you’ve ever stared at a blank line on a birth certificate or felt the pull to find a missing piece of self, this conversation offers language, tools, and a little hope. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review with the moment that stayed with you most. Your voice helps others find the support they deserve.

Music by Curtis Rodgers IG @itsjustcurtis
Produce and Edited by Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Lisa Sapp
Executive Producer Johnnie Underwood

Tell us your story or leave a comment by following us on
IG soimadoptedpod
FB so.i'm adopted
Youtube SO...I'M ADOPTED
Email soimadopted@gmail.com