At four months old, Tiana was adopted by a white couple. It was 1971, and the couple wanted a child that would have been considered hard to place. At that time, that meant a healthy, Black infant. While reunification with birth family wasn’t something that Tiana had considered, in 2018 she received a phone call from a confidential intermediary telling her that her birth mother had petitioned the court to find her. That phone call started a journey towards reconnecting with family—birth parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and more. It also brought to the forefront the trauma and abandonment of being separated from family that are part of the experience for adoptees. Tiana shares her story of reconnecting not only to family, but also discovering who she truly is at her core.

Tiana Hawver was born in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up in a few different parts of the state. She has a background in communications, with over 25 years of experience including radio, public relations and marketing. As an accomplished public speaker, Tiana has had the opportunity to speak to women’s events and conferences, youth groups, and church services. She has also produced a documentary on reconnecting with her birth family, titled “Reconnecting the Dots.” Tiana currently lives in West Michigan and is the director of operations for collective impact nonprofit, Housing Kent.