Our Ancestors Were Messy

Coming Soon: Eslanda and Paul Robeson (Jan. 28th)

Host Nichole Hill shares the story behind Black History Month ahead of the 100th anniversary of it’s celebration and gives listeners a sneak peek of a new episode coming out on January 28th.To learn more about the show and keep in touch, check out https://ourancestorsweremessy.comTo access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comTo stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

Feature: The Lonesome Hearts Column with NPR’s Code Switch (plus an announcement!)

Was dating any easier in the past? Nichole Hill joins Gene Demby and B.A. Parker, hosts of NPR's Code Switch, to put this question to the test by traveling back in time to 1937, using archival personal ads from the Washington Afro-American newspaper. Together, the trio gets a small taste of what it was like for Black folks to date almost a century ago. Turns out, the ancestors were messy, too!Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.comFollow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyFollow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy 

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

In this episode a musical prodigy from Kansas becomes a renowned race woman in Chicago, a tabloid sensation in Harlem, and a musical force the world over. These are the many lives and loves of one of the most famous women of the era: Nora Holt. Starring Natalie Tulloch and Christabel Nsiah-BuadiSupport this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.comFollow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyFollow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SOURCESNora 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 

Minisode: 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.comTo access bonus content and support this independent production visit  https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comTo stay in touch email ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram 

The Emperor Jones: Our Ancestors' Favorite Play

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! Starring Dr. Chioke I'anson and Amaya.Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.comFollow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyFollow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SOURCESThe Emperor Jones by Eugene O'NeilPreserving 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.