Our Ancestors Were Messy

Nichole Hill
  • 4.8 (210)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
Our Ancestors Were Messy

Our Ancestors Were Messy, is a podcast covering the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in the Black newspapers of segregated communities during the pre-Civil Rights era. On each episode, host Nichole Hill and her guests follow the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Hill and her guests learn the mess - and eventual history - their ancestors make along the way. Support this independent production by joining the donor community at: ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Follow us on Instagram @ourancestorsweremessy @nicholewthanh

  1. Nora Holt: The Lives and Loves of Harlem's Legendary Blonde Bombshell

    19H AGO

    Nora Holt: The Lives and Loves of Harlem's Legendary Blonde Bombshell

    A musical prodigy from Kansas becomes a renowned race woman in Chicago, a tabloid sensation in Harlem, and an internationally renowned musical force. These are the many lives and loves of one of the most famous women of the era: Nora Holt. Snag your tickets to the live show! To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/). This week's guests are Natalie Tulloch and Christabel Nsiah-Buadi Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez Sound design by Pat Mesiti-Miller (https://www.patmesiti-miller.com/) with additional music from Mellat Makeda Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina) Research Producer Chioke I'Anson (https://www.chiokeianson.com/) Story Editing by Shonte Hill Show art by Aseloka Smith (@naturallyherown)   SOURCES Nora Holt: The Most Famous Woman You've Never Heard Of by Imani PerryNora Holt by Matthew GuerrieriNora Holt: New Negro Composer and Jazz Age Goddess by Cheryl A. Wall"Strange What Cosmopolites Music Makes of Us": Classical Music, the Black press, and Nora Douglas Holt's Black Feminist Audiotopia by Lucy Caplan

    1h 19m

  2. 19H AGO · BONUS

    Minisode #6 | What's Next for Our Ancestors Were Messy

    Host Nichole Hill shares updates about the future of the show. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

    3 min
  3. Charles Gilpin "The Emperor of Broadway" Has a Note

    MAY 7

    Charles Gilpin "The Emperor of Broadway" Has a Note

    In 1920, Emperor Jones was a bona fide Broadway hit. The controversial play’s lead is Charles Gilpin, the first Black man to head up an integrated cast on the Great White Way. Gilpin enjoys fame, accolades, and universal acclaim…but he does have a note for his playwright Eugene O’Neil. A note that will make and break careers and change the course of Black history! To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/). This week's guest are Chioke I'Anson and his daughter Amaya Zahar. Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez Sound design by Nichole Hill Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina) Research Producer Chioke I'Anson (https://www.chiokeianson.com/) Story Editing by Shonte Hill Show art by Aseloka Smith (@naturallyherown)     SOURCES The Emperor Jones by Eugene O'Neil Preserving African-American Cinema: The Case of The Emperor Jones by Jennie Saxena with contributions from Ken Weissman and James Cozart"The Truth About Haiti: An NAACP Investigation" by James Weldon JohnsonCharles Gilpin. The Kennedy CenterJackson Ward and its Black Wall Street. National Park ServiceBeyond Tulsa: The Historic Legacies and Overlooked Stories of America's Black Wall Streets. Time MagazineThe Richmond Planet is digitized and stored at The Library of Congress.   Episodes release bi-weekly.

    57 min
  4. The Doctors Julian and The Affair That Helped Bring Us Birth Control

    APR 23

    The Doctors Julian and The Affair That Helped Bring Us Birth Control

    In the summer of 1932, Anna and Percy learn that their scandalous love affair has been exposed on the front page of the most popular Black newspaper in DC. They were on their way to making history but now that the secret’s out, their futures hang in the balance. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/). This week's guest is Nygel Turner (@unsp.gully) Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez Sound design by John DeLore Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina) Research Producer Chioke I'Anson (https://www.chiokeianson.com/) Story Editing by Shonte Hill Show art by Aseloka Smith (@naturallyherown)     SOURCES Julian the Trailblazer by Peter TysonForgotten Genius. Nova. PBS "Reclaiming a Black Research Scientist's Forgotten Legacy" by Felicia R. Lee"DuSable Exhibit Highlights Juilan 'Power Couple'" by Robert FeltonYou can read the Washington Afro American newspaper which is still in print and holds the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously published Black newspapers in AmericaYou can support the archiving and sharing of this newspaper at Afro Charities  Episodes release bi-weekly.

    52 min

  5. APR 16 · BONUS

    Minisode #5 | Coming Up on Our Ancestors Were Messy

    Host Nichole Hill shares how listeners can support the show and a sneak peek at next week's episode. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

    4 min
  6. Zora Neale Hurston vs. Langston Hughes: The Pleasures & Perils of Working With Friends

    APR 9

    Zora Neale Hurston vs. Langston Hughes: The Pleasures & Perils of Working With Friends

    Zora Neale Huston and Langston Hughes finally set to work writing their play but outside influences and crossed wires spell trouble for this historic pair. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/). This week's guest is Alicia Walters (@aliciacreates) Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez Sound design by Kyle Murdock (@kcreatesaudio) Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina) Research Producer Chioke I'Anson (https://www.chiokeianson.com/) Story Editing by Shonte Hill Show art by Aseloka Smith (@naturallyherown)     SOURCES Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval TaylorDust Tracks on a Road by Langston HughesIn Search of Zora Neale Hurston by Alice WalkerThe Complex Literary Friendship Between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston by Yuval TaylorCheck out The Interstate Tattler digitized and stored by the New York Public LibrariesRead the archives at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture   Episodes release bi-weekly.

    1h 9m

  7. APR 2 · BONUS

    Minisode #4 | Coming Up on Our Ancestors Were Messy

    Host Nichole Hill shares how listeners can support the show and a sneak peek at next week's episode. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

    5 min
  8. Zora Neale Hurston + Langston Hughes: Best Friends Forever

    MAR 26

    Zora Neale Hurston + Langston Hughes: Best Friends Forever

    It's the summer of 1927 and Zora Neale Huston and Langston Hughes are driving across the South searching for folklore, swapping stories, and enjoying being the newfound stars of the Harlem Renaissance. To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.com To access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com To stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/). This week's guest is Alicia Walters (@aliciacreates) Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez Sound design by Kyle Murdock (@kcreatesaudio) Story Producer Martina Abrahams Ilunga (@m_tina) Research Producer Chioke I'Anson (https://www.chiokeianson.com/) Story Editing by Shonte Hill Show art by Aseloka Smith (@naturallyherown)     SOURCES Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval TaylorDust Tracks on a Road by Langston HughesIn Search of Zora Neale Hurston by Alice WalkerThe Complex Literary Friendship Between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston by Yuval Taylor Jackson's classic collection of Black "toasts" is resurrected by Patricia DonovanGet Your Ass in the Water and Swim Like Me: Narrative Poetry from Black Oral Tradition by Bruce JacksonCheck out The Chicago Defender digitized and stored at The Library of Congress Read the archives at The Chicago Defender Archives  Episodes release bi-weekly.

    55 min
See All (15)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
210 Ratings

About

Our Ancestors Were Messy, is a podcast covering the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in the Black newspapers of segregated communities during the pre-Civil Rights era. On each episode, host Nichole Hill and her guests follow the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Hill and her guests learn the mess - and eventual history - their ancestors make along the way. Support this independent production by joining the donor community at: ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Follow us on Instagram @ourancestorsweremessy @nicholewthanh

Information

  • Creator
    Nichole Hill
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023-3023 Our Ancestors Were Messy
  • Show Website
    Our Ancestors Were Messy

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