Our Ancestors Were Messy - Introducing Our Ancestors Were Messy

Episode Date: January 25, 2025

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.comStay in touch at [e-mail] the show on Instagram at @ourancestorsweremessyLearn more about the show at https://ourancestorsweremessy.comListen on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@OurAncestorsWereMessy The Creative Team Adriana Ambriz, Executive ProducerChioke I'Anson, Research ProducerMartina Abrahams Ilunga, Story EditorShonte Hill, Script EditorHelena de Groot, Sound DesignerJohn DeLore, Sound DesignerPat Mesiti-Miller, Sound DesignerKyle Murdock, Sound DesignerAseloka Smith, Show Art

I'm Nicole Hill, and this is Our Ancestors We're Messy, a show about our ancestors and all their drama, as documented in the gossip columns and society pages of historical black newspapers. So people are whispering, and Azalea hears about this, and she's like, I hate Ida B. Wells. You know I don't want you talking to her. What are you doing? Beefing, beefing, beefing. So, like, one time Frederick Douglass was like, I will hook you. you up. And he's like, great, good, great. And then Frederick Douglas is like, no, no, I can't. He publishes all this. He's like, I hate you. I hate the way that you dress. I hate the way that you talk. I hate your hair. Like just. So on Christmas Eve in 1935, they get married.

On Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, they do it. They are, they're too much. They're just, they're just so dramatic. Oh my goodness. You got, you got married on Christmas Eve. Sending letters. I said, oh, my God. We have this way of glorifying and idolizing ancestors as if it's only the good things that they did that are worthy of being, you know what I'm like those are the things that are worthy of being seen and told, but that's not that helpful. Like humanity is messy. People are messy. Our ancestors were messy. And we're in the mess every day. And that's what I found too. I felt this. I was like opening these people. pages and being like, am I allowed to talk about this? Because this is what, I feel like it was speaking to me, it still speaks to me all these like,

oh, they didn't know exactly the right thing to do. Wow. What would you have done? If I was a young man or a young person in that era, I would definitely more strongly be leaning toward Du Bois. What would you do in this situation? You're Lena. I feel like I understand both sides.

But Washington would have been the only black leader most of us could have related to in the So I would get fired, but then you would immediately see me in the press. Yeah. Like advocating for the rights of black actors. Yeah. And so what did they do? And like, I need to pray to ancestors who were messy and figured a way through or could give me some information about what they did that I shouldn't do.

You know? Oh, my God. Is this the trailer? Is this the trailer right now? Yes. Yes. New episodes of Our Ancestors Were Messy air February 12th. Listen everywhere you get your podcasts and at our Ancestors Were Messy.com.