Lives Less Ordinary - Why didn't they tell me I was black? Part 2

Download Why didn't they tell me I was black? Part 2

It took years for Lacey Tezino to discover the truth about her parents – what she found out would upturn everything she thought she knew about her own identity.

When Lacey left her rural Texan hometown and went to university in metropolitan Houston, her African American roommates informed her in no uncertain terms that she was black. This raised some fundamental questions for Lacey – she had been raised by a white family, who led her to believe that her father was white, and her mother was Hawaiian, and had died when she was a baby. But it was clear that Lacey looked much more like her new black friends. What followed was a deep dive into everything she'd been told about her parents, and her origins, with truly shocking results.

This is part two of Lacey's story. Part one is available on the Lives Less Ordinary website.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producers: Rebecca Vincent and Tommy Dixon

Lives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected.
 
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Published on Monday, 19th October 2026.

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