Dropping the Mask: Transracial Adoption, Black Identity, and Reclaiming Home with Erik Mohn

What does it cost an adopted person to wear a mask just to keep the world comfortable—and what does it take to finally take the armor off? In this October episode of Born in June, Raised in April, host April Dinwoodie sits down with Erik Mohn, author of his debut memoir Stranger in My Own Story, for an electric, soul-baring conversation on transracial adoption, race, culture, family and Black masculinity. Reflecting on growing up as a Black boy raised by white parents in Massachusetts, Erik candidly unpacks the heavy burden of being "born brokenhearted" and armoring up with humor, chameleonic code-switching, and cultural performance just to survive. Together, April and Erik explore the lifelong journey of putting the fragmented pieces of an origin story back together—and how the unique, hard-won vantage point of transracial adoptees holds profound lessons for healing, corporate spaces, and human relationships at large. In this episode, April and Erik discuss: Kintsugi and Piecing Together Origins: Viewing adoption not as a neat narrative, but as the Japanese art of gathering fractured life pieces and repairing them with gold into an integrated whole. The "Brother Miles" Moment & Racial Mirrors: Searching for belonging as a young child in the sandbox and the visceral disorientation of growing up without Black reflection. The Toll of the Mask: The exhaustion of constant code-switching—from suburban classrooms to Howard University—and how adopting protective personas kept vulnerability at bay. Adoption as "Forced Healing": Wrestling with core wounds of abandonment, navigating accountability with adoptive parents, and how reunion with maternal origins brought genuine peace and empathy. Saying Goodbye and Measuring Healing: Breaking down relationship anxiety, the fear that conflict equals abandonment, and how the ability to offer a calm, grounded "goodbye" becomes a quiet benchmark of wholeness. The Corporate Edge & What Adoption Teaches the World: Why navigating dual worlds equips transracial adoptees to read power dynamics with unmatched clarity, and how lived adoptee wisdom can help society heal the universal fear of not being enough. Connect with Erik Mohn Memoir: Stranger in My Own Story (Available now) Website: mohnsworld.com Instagram: @mohnsworld LinkedIn: Erik Mohn  

What does it mean to truly belong when the earliest chapters of your life hold unanswered questions? This September on Born in June, Raised in April: What Adoption Can Teach the World, host April Dinwoodie sits down with journalist, writer, and AdoptMent mentor Siobhan Neela-Stock. Adopted from India at 1.5 years old and raised in rural Vermont alongside three adopted sisters, Siobhan spent much of her life believing her adoption didn't deeply impact her. But an ordinary moment watching her young niece unlocked an undeniable truth: our bodies, minds, and nervous systems hold early memory, attachment, and love that conscious memory cannot always access. In this candid, moving conversation, April and Siobhan unpack the intersection of race, identity, and international adoption. Siobhan discusses the contradictions of loving your adoptive family while aching for origins, confronting inaccuracies in adoption records, and her bold decision to launch an official search for her biological family in India through the Adoptee Rights Council. 💖 Support Siobhan's Search for Family Siobhan is currently raising funds to cover the significant investigative, legal, and on-the-ground fees required for her search in India. Please consider supporting her journey: GoFundMe Campaign: Help Siobhan Find Her Birth Family in India 🔗 Connect with Siobhan Neela-Stock Website: https://www.siobhanneelastock.com/ Instagram: @sneelastock LinkedIn: Siobhan Neela-Stock Facebook: Connect on Facebook  

As the back-to-school transition gets underway, new routines, unfamiliar hallways, and shifting social circles can test a child's confidence—especially for kids navigating difference, transracial adoption, or mixed-race identity. In this episode, Rooted in Connection: Back to School with Dr. Jenn, we explore how to send children into the new school year anchored in deep self-worth and belonging. Dr. Jenn breaks down why intentional community is essential, how cultural joy and pride act as powerful protection against racial pain, and the subtle shifts in grades or behavior that signal a child might be struggling in silence. Tune in for practical, heart-centered guidance on protecting and preparing children for the school year ahead.   

In July 2026, April Dinwoodie discusses the complex themes of adoption, identity, freedom, and community with her guest, a neurodivergent queer trans woman and adoptee. They explore personal stories, societal perceptions, and the importance of authentic connections.

We are back in the month of June—a namesake time of year that invites us into a specific flow of reflection around family, identity, and the complex experiences of adoption and belonging. In this episode, April welcomes back the amazing Libby Hobbs (first heard on the podcast in August 2025 alongside Ahna Fleeming) for a powerful, heartwarming, and deeply honest catch-up. Sitting together right in April's Harlem brownstone, they dive into the massive new season of Libby's life: graduating college, leaving The New York Times, and moving all the way to Oklahoma to find her writer's voice as a reporter for the startup local news source, the Tulsa Flyer. Libby shares a profound, full-body-chill moment from a recent reporting assignment on cultural Mahjong, where a group of local elder women welcomed her and affectionately claimed her by her Chinese middle name, Shinlan (New Orchid). This powerful experience of acceptance sparks a beautiful conversation about what it means to step into vulnerability as a strength, build community from scratch, and claim our heritages on our own terms. Together, April and Libby also unpack the layered realities of navigating Father's Day as transracially adopted persons—celebrating and honoring the deep, foundational love for the dads who raised them, while fiercely holding space for the unknown origins and ancestral spirits that live inside their bodies. This is an episode filled with deep connection, laughter, and lots of love. It is a beautiful reminder that we are who we say we are, and that adoption truly has so much to teach the world. 🔗 Mentioned in This Episode: Read Libby's Article: "Mahjong is on the rise in Tulsa. It's not what you'd expect." on the Tulsa Flyer. Listen to the Back-Story: Catch our original August 2025 Episode with Libby Hobbs and Ahna Fleeming to hear exactly how we all first connected! Born in June, Raised in April is produced and edited by Kyle Ferreira. Our theme music is by Kevin Lowther, also known as Big Lux. You can find me on social media @juneinapril, on YouTube @AprilDinwoodie, and at my website, www.juneinapril.com.

What happens when the origin stories we are told growing up turn out to be folklore? In this powerful and deeply intimate conversation, host April Dinwoodie sits down with therapist, researcher, and author Dr. Abby Hasberry to unpack the layers of transracial adoption, identity, and the systemic complexities of the adoption constellation. Dr. Hasberry shares the vulnerable reality of discovering her true origin story later in life, navigating the unique space of being both an adopted person and a mother who relinquished a child as a teenager, and how these intersecting worlds informed her groundbreaking book, Adopting Privilege. Together, April and Dr. Hasberry dive into the concept of "identity preassignment," the profound impact of naming, and why moving away from transactional child welfare toward transformational, truth-centered love is essential for true healing. Updated Show Notes & Resources Key Takeaways From This Episode Folklore vs. Truth: The danger of fabricated adoption narratives and why anything less than the radical truth compromises the foundation of love. Identity Preassignment: How societal narratives can pre-program adopted individuals to assume specific roles within the adoption constellation before they even realize it. The Nuance of Privilege: Navigating the complex intersection of white adjacency, systemic barriers, and the lack of basic identity privileges (like access to original birth certificates). Reclaiming Space: Reclaiming personal geography, original naming legacies, and the importance of centering your own story. Resources & Links Mentioned Read the Book: Adopting Privilege by Dr. Abby Hasberry — Explore Dr. Hasberry's beautifully structured work on intersectionality, family legacy, and personal affirmations. - https://adoptingprivilege.com/about-dr-abby-hasberry Historical Context: National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW) — Reference to the pivotal 1972 stance on transracial adoption and identity development. - https://www.nabsw.org/sites/default/files/2024-08/NABSW_Trans-Racial_Adoption_1972_Position_%28b%29.pdf Connect with the Host: Learn more about April's ongoing consulting, advocacy work, and initiatives via JuneinApril.com. - http://JuneinApril.com More About Dr. Abby Hasberry Dr. Abby Hasberry is a therapist, researcher, educator, and author who specializes in working with adopted persons and relinquishing mothers. After a successful career as a founding school principal, she returned to clinical and academic spaces to fill critical gaps in adoption-competent therapy for Black women. She is currently conducting research on adopted persons who have relinquished children and is developing an upcoming docuseries centering the lived experiences of the adoption constellation.

In this special April 2026 episode, host April Dinwoodie leans into the deep symbolism of her namesake month. While society often encourages adopted individuals and families to skip straight to the "flowers"—the sunshine, the gratitude, and the "happily ever after"—April and her dear friend, trauma expert Bryan Post, argue that you cannot have growth without the rain. They deconstruct the "April Showers" of the adoption experience: the grief, the loss, and the emotional releases that are often dismissed as "dramatic" but are actually vital for wholeness. Bryan shares insights on how suppressed grief is simply energy in motion that requires a safe place to land. Together, they explore: The Rain Wall: A profound analogy for consciously walking into the "showers" of truth to reach authentic healing. Parental Grief Suppression: How a parent's own unexamined history can create an unconscious block when supporting a child's emotions. Estrangement Prevention: Why doing the "heavy lifting" of emotional work now is the key to building a legacy of connection that lasts well into adulthood. Don't miss the conclusion, where April discusses the practical urgency of aligning our names and legal identities in today's civic and political climate. Resources & Links Learn more about Bryan Post's work: Visit the Post Institute for resources on the Stress Model and trauma-informed parenting. Listen to Bryan's first appearance on this show: June 2019 Episode. Together on the Journey Family Camp (TRJ) 2026: Join April and Bryan in person this summer for a transformative family experience! Dates: August 1st – 4th, 2026 Location: Ohio University, Athens, OH Register Here: togetheronthejourney.org (Spots are filling fast!) Connect with April Dinwoodie: Website: juneinapril.com YouTube: @AprilDinwoodie Instagram/Facebook: @JuneInApril

In this deep-dive conversation, April Dinwoodie sits down with Sullivan Summer, an independent scholar, poet, and adoptee rights advocate, to unpack the layers of the adoption experience. From the "luck" narrative to the realities of transracial adoption, they explore how media and pop culture shape our understanding of family. Sullivan shares her work with Adoptees for Family Preservation and her own podcast, Adoption Pop!, highlighting why disrupting traditional narratives is essential for authentic storytelling and systemic change. Key Takeaways The "Luck" Complex: Why the concept of being "lucky" in adoption is a double-edged sword that often obscures the loss inherent in the experience. Media & Representation: How pop culture frequently misrepresents adoption, and how we can use those same tools to reclaim the narrative. Transracial Dynamics: Navigating the intersection of race, privilege, and marginalization within adoptive families. The Power of Community: Why adoptee-centered spaces are vital for support and advocacy. The Business of Adoption: Understanding adoption as a $25 billion industry and the implications for family preservation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Community Connection 01:09 Exploring the Myth of "Luck" in Adoption 09:14 The Realities of Transracial Adoption 20:10 Misconceptions and Media Representation 37:30 Introducing the Adoption Pop! Podcast 49:05 Authenticity and Vulnerability in Storytelling 58:31 Closing Lessons: The Importance of Listening About the Guest Sullivan Summer is a domestic, transracial adoptee and a leading voice in adoptee rights advocacy. She is an independent scholar, critic, essayist, and poet whose work has been featured in various literary and academic outlets. Sullivan serves as the President of Adoptees for Family Preservation, a nonprofit dedicated to adoptee-centered storytelling, and hosts the Adoption Pop! podcast. Her 2025 chapbook, Performance Anxiety, was published by Black Sunflowers Poetry Press. Connect with Sullivan: Website: sullivansummer.com Instagram: @thesullivansummer | @adoptionpoppodcast Substack: Sullivan Summer on Substack Podcast: Adoption Pop! Nonprofit: Adoptees for Family Preservation Podcast Credits Produced by: April Dinwoodie & Kyle Ferreira Engineered and Edited by: Kyle Ferreira Theme Music: Kevin Lowther (aka Big Lux)

In this powerful tenth installment of How to Love a Transracially Adopted Person, host April Dinwoodie marks ten years of writing at the intersection of Valentine's Day and Black History Month with a clear and urgent message: love without protection is no longer enough. What began as a reflection on romantic love and adoption has evolved into something deeper — a reckoning with identity, loss, belonging, race, safety, and responsibility. In this episode of Born in June, Raised in April, April examines the incomplete love narrative often attached to adoption and challenges the cultural myth that adoption is a simple, tidy love story. Drawing from her lived experience as a Black woman raised in a white family, she explores how love without truth creates fragility — and how love without protection creates harm. April shares personal reflections on growing up deeply loved, yet not always protected from racial harm. She unpacks the emotional tension between gratitude and grief, belonging and rupture, and calls parents, professionals, and institutions into a more courageous understanding of what real love requires. This episode is both personal and universal — a call-in to anyone who claims to love Black and Brown people, especially Black and Brown children. Because in this moment, protection is not optional. It is the measure of love. Keywords adoption, transracial adoption, protective love, identity, race, belonging, grief, Black identity, family dynamics, racial justice, advocacy, parenting, adoption narrative, loss, responsibility Takeaways Adoption is not a simple love story — it is a complex human story that requires truth. Gratitude and grief can coexist from the very beginning of an adopted person's life. Silence in the face of racial harm is not neutral. Loving a Black or Brown child requires racial awareness and active protection. Protective love requires courage, advocacy, and structural accountability. Love that avoids truth is fragile; love that refuses protection is incomplete. Sound Bites "Love without protection is no longer enough." "Silence is not neutral to a Black child." "Exceptional love is not safe." "Survival skills are not the same as protection." "Protection is not a statement. It is structure." Chapters 00:00 Ten Years at the Intersection 03:40 The Incomplete Love Narrative of Adoption 12:15 Gratitude, Grief, and the Both/And 18:30 When Love Isn't Connected to Protection 25:10 The Responsibility of Transracial Adoption 32:45 Protection as the Measure of Love 36:50 A Call-In to Parents, Leaders, and Institutions  

In this episode of "Born in June, Raised in April," host April Dinwoodie reflects on the journey of the podcast as it celebrates its 10th season. Joined by executive producer Kyle Ferreira, they discuss the significance of the conversations held over the years, particularly those with April's parents, which have profoundly shaped her understanding of adoption and identity. April emphasizes the importance of having difficult conversations about adoption, grief, and family dynamics, highlighting how these discussions can foster deeper connections and understanding among families. The episode also touches on the unique framework of using the calendar as a tool for exploring adoption-related themes, allowing for a structured approach to discussing complex emotions and experiences.   Keywords: adoption, identity, family, podcast, conversations, grief, family dynamics, communication, personal journey, calendar framework Takeaways: Conversations with my parents have been transformational. It's important to communicate experiences of adoption and family separation. Adoptive families can relate to feelings of being 'othered' in their own lives. The calendar serves as a universal framework for discussing adoption. Both joy and grief can coexist in adoption celebrations. Sound bites: "Conversations with my parents have been transformational." "It's about integrity in a way." "Sometimes you have to run towards the burning building." Chapters 00:00 Celebrating 10 Years of the Podcast 02:01 Transformational Conversations with Family 12:40 The Calendar as a Framework for Adoption 18:34 Navigating Joy and Grief in Adoption 22:10 What Adoption Can Teach the World   Calendar Conversations Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/calendar-conversations-a-guide-for-adoptive-parents/id1728489802   Together on the Journey https://www.transracialjourneys.org/family-camp/