NPE Stories

Harmful Content Warning: This episode contains raw language including racial slurs, as well as discussions of domestic violence and systemic trauma.Alethia joins me to talk about a childhood defined by internal racism and the messy reality of growing up in a toxic home. We dive into the moment her world shifted when a DNA test completely dismantled her family’s origin story, replacing it with a hidden history she never saw coming. It’s an honest, sometimes uncomfortable look at the shame that follows a DNA surprise and the heavy emotional cost of carrying secrets you didn't even know existed.Resources Mentioned:Right to KnowDNAngels and Search AngelsOne Drop: My Father's Hidden Life - A Story of Race and Family Secrets by Bliss BroyardFinding Me: A Memoir by Viola DavisGreenlights by Matthew McConaugheyThe Color of Water by James McBrideI Take My Coffee Black by Tyler MerrittReflections: A Window Into My Soul by Alethia SternNPE Stories PatreonNPE Stories facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/NPEstories

In this episode, Becca Rothman, a comedian, activist, and mother shares the surprising story of discovering she was donor-conceived later in life. After years of living with a "clue" found by her sister, Becca finally used a DNA kit to uncover a biological father—a pediatrician—who shares her love of exclamation points. Becca discusses how she turned the entire journey into her 30-minute solo comedy show, Gifted.You can follow Becca's stand-up and storytelling journey on Instagram @BeccaRothmanResources Mentioned:The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are by Libby CopelandThe Sunday Story Seven IG @storyseven.albeccarothman.comUntangling Our Roots ConferenceNPE Stories PatreonNPE Stories facebook pagehttps://www.facebook.com/NPEstories