In this interview, Karamo speaks with a woman who survived human trafficking after being kidnapped at age 14½ and trafficked for three years across multiple states. She describes her ongoing advocacy work, distributing condoms and hygiene supplies to sex workers in her community. The conversation shifts to a personal revelation: a Facebook message prompted her to learn that she was adopted. Her adoptive father, who had raised her as his own, disclosed the adoption nine months before his death, sharing limited details about her birth—Brooklyn, 1985, Muslim background, mother aged 35. Following his passing, she contacted the adoption agency and registered with the New York State Health Department to locate her biological family, hoping to close that chapter for herself, her daughter, and granddaughters.
Chapters
So what inspired you to actually find and reach out to one of my producers?
I reached out because it's been a long journey. I'm a survivor of human trafficking, so I found out a lot of things as far as me being adopted, I wasn't supposed to know. And I wanna just kind of close that chapter and just start something new for my daughter and my granddaughters, know where we come from.
Got it. So first of all, thank you for being vulnerable and talking about being human trafficked. I can only imagine what that was like for you. For you. Can you share a little bit of what that story was?
I was kidnapped at the age of 14 and a half, human trafficked for at least 3 years, back and forth, state to state. And I just keep pushing and keep my head up.
Amen.
And I keep my awareness. I advocate in the streets to my friends.
Yeah.
I go around in the neighborhood. If I see prostitutes, I give them condoms, wipes, things that they need to protect theyself and just be out there and I just talk.
Amen. Thank you for working on it. Best guess.
Thank you. Yeah.
And how did you find out you were adopted?
On Facebook.
A young lady messaged me and she asked me if I was adopted. My middle name is Omeka. So when she Googled Omeka, I came up. And long story short, I asked my father if I was adopted. He told me we didn't have the same blood. And here I am.
Wow. So tell me about your adoptive father.
He's a good man.
He's the best father ever. I love my dad and I miss my dad. He just told me, he just taught me love. Always remember where you come from. Don't forget where you come from. Keep your head up.
Yeah.
So yeah.
And he passed recently?
Yeah, he passed 9 months before he told me I was adopted.
Oh, I'm sorry. Here you go, my love.
Oh, thank you.
You're welcome.
So yeah.
And you reached out to the adoption agency after he told you that?
Yes.
So that, I wanna go back a little bit actually, 'cause that had to have been a shock because here you are, you're thinking you're my biological father and then he says 9 months later, 9 months before he passes, I may not be or I'm not.
Yes, he's not.
Yeah.
So he disclosed the adoption agency. I contacted the adoption agency. I registered myself with New York State Health Department to see if anybody was registered.
When you reached out to the agency, what did they say to you?
They didn't have that much information.
My mother was 35 when she had me. The adoption was finalized in '85. I was born in Brooklyn. Religion was Muslim, and that was it.
Your birthday November 2nd?
Yes, sir.
Hey, mother!
Hey, mother! Oh, hey! We got to turn it up. What's up?
