Our Ancestors Were Messy

By Coco Hill ProductionsComedy Arts History

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Typical duration
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per episode

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Our Ancestors Were Messy episodes

February 26, 2025Oscar Micheaux: The Family Feud That Launched Black Hollywood
At the turn of the century, Oscar Micheaux - a dreamer from Smallville - makes his way to the big city searching for fame, fortune...and a change to his single status! What he finds is a wife he loves, a father-in-law he hates, and a path into Black history he could have never imagined. Starring Dr. Ray Christian.
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

SOURCES
The Conquest: The Story of a Negro Pioneer by Oscar Micheaux
Oscar Micheaux Homestead National Historical Park, Pullman National Historic Park, National Park Service
Sully County Black Homesteader Community, Homestead National Historical Park, National Park Service
Oscar Micheaux, NAACP
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
"The life and times of Oscar Micheaux" by Mary Beth Roderick for the Southern Illinoisan
Check out The Chicago Defender digitized and stored at The Library of Congress
Read the archives at The Chicago Defender Archives.
1 hr 12 min
February 19, 2025Coming Soon: Oscar Micheaux (Feb. 26)
Host Nichole Hill shares a programming note, a thank you, and a sneak peek at next week's episode.
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
3 min
February 12, 2025The Washington Bee: "Stings for Our Enemies. Honey for Our Friends."
A Victorian Era love triangle rocks the elites of DC and the Washington Bee newspaper is on the scene, thrilled to cover every scandalous detail! Starring Jonquilyn Hill.
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
SOURCES
"Honey for Our Friends, Stings for Enemies": William Calvin Chase and "The Washington Bee." 1882-1921
The Political Work of Leisure: Class, Recreation, and African American Commemoration at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, 1881-1931
Our Kind of People by Lawrence Otis Graham
Check out The Washington Bee digitized and stored at The Library of Congress.
As promised, the recipe for the Dick Francis Special. Enjoy! https://imbibemagazine.com/dick-francis-special
1 hr 1 min
January 25, 2025Introducing Our Ancestors Were Messy
Our Ancestors Were Messy is a show about our ancestors and all their drama! Host Nichole Hill and her guests sift through the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines in historical Black newspapers.
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
The Creative Team
Adriana Ambriz, Executive Producer
Chioke I'Anson, Research Producer
Martina Abrahams Ilunga, Story Editor
Shonte Hill, Script Editor
Helena de Groot, Sound Designer
John DeLore, Sound Designer
Pat Mesiti-Miller, Sound Designer
Kyle Murdock, Sound Designer
Aseloka Smith, Show Art
3 min
June 05, 2024Meet the Julians: One of America's First Black Power Couples
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 breaking barriers and making history but now that Anna’s husband has discovered their secret, their futures hang in the balance. This is the love story of one of America's first Black power couples Drs. Anna and Percy Julian.
To learn more about the show visit https://ourancestorsweremessy.com
Episode sources
NOVA - Forgotten Genius
"Chemistry Dept. Shake-Up Set for June 30" (The Afro American, pg. 13)
"Sues Julian for $75,000" (The Afro American, pg. 13)
"Julian Is Asked To Resign" (The Afro American, pg. 13)
"Six Vote to Keep Julian at HU" (The Afro American, pg. 1)
"Julian Tells of Hot Date with Germansweetie" (The Afro American, pg. 13)
"Julian Writes on Efficiency of Dr. Scott" (The Afro American, pg. 13)
"Reclaiming a Black Research Scientist’s Forgotten Legacy" by Felicia R. Lee (The New York Times, February 6, 2007)
"DuSable exhibit highlights Julian 'Power Couple'" by Robert Felton (Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest, February 11, 2021)
The team
Sound design and editing: JOHN DELORE
Story editing: MARTINA ABRAHAMS ILUNGA, ASELOKA SMITH, KIA MIAKKA NATISSE
Guest: NYGEL TURNER
Host, producer, creator: NICHOLE HILL
51 min

About Our Ancestors Were Messy

From the publisher's feed

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.