Podcast
Ethiopian Adoptees | Unapologetically Unfiltered
Episodes
- Rediet: You Can't Have a Kid for Gratitude (Part 3 of 3)
In our final segment with Rediet, we explore the deep psychological impact of transracial adoption, specifically how the titles of "Mom" and "Dad" are earned through emotional conn…
- Rediet: Feeling Like a Disruption (Part 2 of 3)
In this second part of the interview, Rediet shares the jarring reality of being brought into a white American home that already felt "completed." She describes her arrival not as…
- Rediet: Good Girls Don’t Get Their Heads Shaved (Part 1 of 3)
In this episode (Part 1 of 3), I sit down with Rediet, a fellow Ethiopian adoptee, and we go back to the beginning of her story in Addis Ababa, where she was raised by loving, stro…
- Billy Birhan Desalegn: The Interpreter of Broken Promises (Part 2)
INTERVIEW WITH BILLY - PART 2 I had the honor of sitting down with my dear friend Billy, also known as Billy Birhan Desalegn, in this deeply moving interview. Billy is a professio…
- Billy Birhan Desalegn: The Interpreter of Broken Promises (Part 1)
I had the honor of sitting down with my dear friend Billy, also known as Billy Birhan Desalegn, in this deeply moving interview. Billy is a professional tour guide from Addis Ababa…
Umm Adoptees, Are We Okay?Hey guyssss, this episode is me getting brutally honest with myself and with us as a community. It’s truthfully more of a crashout that I refuse to make palatable, because this is…
YOU'RE NOT CRAZY - The Odds Were Not In Your FavorHey everyone! In this solo episode, I get real about something that’s been weighing heavy on my heart: the lie we’ve been told that adoption is always good, always safe, always “be…
Cosimo Naldi: Amor Vincit Omnia ("Love conquers all”) (Part II)[SAME SUMMARY FROM PART I] In this first episode of 2025, I had the honor of virtually sitting down with Cosimo Naldi, an Ethiopian adoptee raised and living in Italy. This conver…
Cosimo Naldi: Amor Vincit Omnia ("Love conquers all”) (Part I)In this first episode of 2025, I had the honor of virtually sitting down with Cosimo Naldi, an Ethiopian adoptee raised and living in Italy. This conversation was raw, emotional, a…
Habtamu Isaacson: I feel like I have to be somebody. (Interview Part 2)Heyy everyone! In this new episode, I am joined by Habtamu Isaacson who shares his powerful adoption story. Adopted at the age of 9 in 2010 by a family in Minnesota, Habtamu reveal…
Habtamu Isaacson: I feel like I have to be somebody. (Interview Part 1)Heyy everyone! In this new episode, I am joined by Habtamu Isaacson who shares his powerful adoption story. Adopted at the age of 9 in 2010 by a family in Minnesota, Habtamu reveal…
Ashenafi Stuart: "I would heavily encourage someone to adopt."Hey everyone, meet our next guest Ashenafi (Ash) Stuart! Ashenafi is an 18-year-old Ethiopian adoptee from Maryland, who was adopted when he was just 5 months old. In this episode,…
Kassaye & Aselefetch on "Lions Roaring Far From Home" (Interview Part 2)(Kassaye & Aselefetch - Interview Part 2) Hey heyy everyone and welcome to SEASON 2! I am so excited to kick off the new season with an amazing interview with the editors and cont…
Kassaye & Aselefetch on "Lions Roaring Far From Home" (Interview Part 1)Hey heyy everyone and welcome to SEASON 2! I am so excited to kick off the new season with an amazing interview with the editors and contributors of, Lions Roaring Far From Home: A…
EARN My TrustIn this episode, we look at another way adoptee experiences are pushed to the margin. Specifically, we talk about the adoptee-to-parent dynamic and how the initial push to have ado…
The Emotional Holiday HangoverIn this shorter solo episode, I talk about the emotional complexities of an Ethiopian adoptee during the holidays. The holidays are a time that really emphasizes family in a very b…
Fekadu O'Connor: "Be Proud of Who You Are."In this episode, I am lucky to have my brother Fekadu O'Connor on to talk about his experience as an Ethiopian adoptee. Now 19 years old and a freshman in college, Fekadu talks abo…
Gediyon Prince: I would have chosen to stay (in Ethiopia)Our second guest is my good friend, Gediyon Prince! Gediyon is a 24-year-old Ethiopian adoptee. He was adopted in 2006, at the age of 7, after nearly two years at Wide Horizons orp…
Questions & AnswersHey hey! In this episode, I touch on some of the questions listeners have sent to me. I tried my best to answer the questions to the best of my abilities and based on my experience…
Behaylu Barry: Don't Chase the Soccer BallHey everyone! I want to introduce you to my good friend and our first guest on the podcast - Behaylu Barry! Behaylu was adopted from Ethiopia in 2007 from Wide Horizons, located in…
