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Our Ancestors Were Messy: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Nichole Hill
A recap of the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines and then history in pre-Civil Rights Era America. Host Nichole Hill takes her guests through the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Along the way, these ancestors make messes that land them in the gossip columns of Black newspapers.
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- Apr 8, 202621 min
Household Exclusive: Researching Our Ancestors
Host Nichole Hill responds to listeners' comments and shares an interview with the show's Research Producer, Chioke I'Anson, about the research behind the histories shared on the show. Their conversation was originally taped for the donor community known as The Household. Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy
- Jan 28, 202652 min
Paul and Eslanda Robeson: For the Rights of People. For the Rights of Workers. (Part 2)
Essie & Paul’s passions lead them to the front lines of the fight to defeat fascism. Starring Jason Reynolds Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SELECT SOURCES Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson by Barbara Ransby The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: An Artist's Journey 1898-1939 by Paul Robeson, Jr. The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: Quest for Freedom 1939-1976 by Paul Robeson, Jr. Here I Stand by Paul Robeson History of America in Ten Strikes by Erik Loomis Haymarket Book Talk with Barbara Ransby: Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson The History of Camp Wo-Chi-Ca The Peekskill Riots Revealed the Racism and Antisemitism Hidden Beneath the Surface of the Anti-Communist Movement by Matthew Schuerman
- Jan 28, 202653 min
Eslanda and Paul Robeson: Revolutionaries in the Making (Part 1)
Eslanda Cardozo Goode and Paul Robeson meet and fall in love during the Roaring 20s in Harlem. They give up promising careers and devote themselves to climbing the ladder of fame and fortune. Can their relationship survive the success that follows? Starring Jason Reynolds Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SELECT SOURCES Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson by Barbara Ransby The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: An Artist's Journey 1898-1939 by Paul Robeson, Jr. The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: Quest for Freedom 1939-1976 by Paul Robeson, Jr. Here I Stand by Paul Robeson History of America in Ten Strikes by Erik Loomis How American Slavery Echoed Russian Serfdom by Matthew Wills Haymarket Book Talk with Barbara Ransby The Scramble for Africa Arturo Alfonso Schomburg The Atlanta Daily World
- Jan 21, 20263 min
Coming Soon: Essie 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.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
- Sep 3, 202534 min
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.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy
- May 14, 20251h 19m
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 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-Buadi Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SOURCES Nora Holt: The Most Famous Woman You've Never Heard Of by Imani Perry Nora Holt by Matthew Guerrieri Nora 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
- May 14, 20252 min
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.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
- May 7, 202556 min
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.com Stay in touch at ouranestorsweremessy@gmail.com Follow the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessy Follow the show on TikTok at @ourancestorsweremessy Learn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.com Listen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy 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 Johnson Charles Gilpin. The Kennedy Center Jackson Ward and its Black Wall Street. National Park Service Beyond Tulsa: The Historic Legacies and Overlooked Stories of America's Black Wall Streets. Time Magazine The Richmond Planet is digitized and stored at The Library of Congress.
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About Our Ancestors Were Messy
A recap of the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines and then history in pre-Civil Rights Era America. Host Nichole Hill takes her guests through the story of an ancestor in search of opportunity, adventure, love, and a way to beat Jim Crow. Along the way, these ancestors make messes that land them in the gossip columns of Black newspapers.
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