Claiming Names and Finding Strength In Adoption with Libby Hobbs

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.