In the winter of 1857, a Mississippi plantation dinner ended with more than just indigestion — we got a dead body, a master and mistress poisoned, and all fingers pointing to the cook.

Was she serving dinner with a side of revenge, or was she the perfect scapegoat in a house already boiling with jealousy, colorism, pettiness and lust?

This story has everything: a master who couldn’t keep out of his slaves’ beds, a mistress burning with rage, house slaves pitted against field slaves, and one pot of tea that changed everything. From whispered gossip around the cabins to a courtroom packed with lies, betrayals, and technical loopholes, this case shows how one woman may have turned the tables in the deadliest way possible.

So, grab your cup, Noir Nation — because this week we’re sipping on a vintage tea as I lay out the story of Josephine the enslaved woman whose cup was overflowing with get back.