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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 [email protected] 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 

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 [email protected] 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

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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

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 [email protected] 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 

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.comStay in touch at [email protected] 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 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  

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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram  

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 [email protected] 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 SOURCES The 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.

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. Starring Nygel Turner. Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at [email protected] 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 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

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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

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. Starring Alicia Walters. Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at [email protected] the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyFollow the show on TikTok @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SOURCES Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval TaylorDust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale HurstonIn 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

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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram

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. Starring Alicia Walters. Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at [email protected] the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyFollow the show on TikTok @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy SOURCES Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval TaylorDust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale HurstonIn Search of Zora Neale Hurston by Alice WalkerThe Dinner Party That Started the Harlem Renaissance by Veronica Chambers and Michelle May-CurryThe Complex Literary Friendship Between Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston by Yuval TaylorMules and Men by Zora Neale HurstonJackson'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 CongressRead the archives at The Chicago Defender Archives

Host Nichole Hill shares a research tip, updates for the Household aka the donor community, where to find bonus material, 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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/) Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez 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)   BONUS STORY To access the bonus story check out this article: Black history emerges from 1897 time capsule.  Episodes release bi-weekly. 

Nichole, Zakiya and Emmanuel read three drama-filled love stories from historic Black newspapers and select the one that they believe could stand the test of time. Starring Zakiya Gibbons and Emmanuel Dzotsi. Support this independent production and access bonus content at https://ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.comStay in touch at [email protected] 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 SOURCES Support the reporting done by the legendary Oklahoma Eagle still in print today!Check out The Colorado Statesman, archived at the Library of Congress.

Host Nichole Hill shares listener mail, an update for the Household aka the donor community, 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 [email protected] or follow the show @ourancestorsweremessy on Instagram THE A-TEAM The show is hosted by Nichole Hill (https://www.nicholelhill.com/) Executive Producer A.A. Hernandez 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)       Episodes release bi-weekly.