
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. Support this independent production by jo... more
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 19 | Founded | 2 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | HistoryComedy | |||

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? ... more
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 ourancestorsweremessy.supercast.com
• Stay in touch at ouranest... more
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 ... more
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.... more
People also subscribe to these shows.





Just listen. Such a fun way to learn about history while humanizing our heroes. If you’ve read Harlem Rhapsody you’ll recognize some real life characters in the Langston vs. Zoe’s epi. Very fun, informative, and well done.
I listened to this podcast on the recommendation of a bookstagrammer I follow. I love her recs and this one was as amazing as anything I’ve ever heard. It’s teaching history through something akin to gossip. The Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes episodes are my booster favorites.
I am a nerdy and information thirsty black who especially loves the stories of our foremothers who bore and endured so much but were very prolific. From the superlative production and score to engaging storytelling, OAWM is a one of a kind, premier podcast….of ALL podcasts. I have never and will never love another podcast like I love this one. Nichole reached into archival gold, sourced and retold stories in a way that makes me want to read a book filled with these stories…because I LOVE book... more
I love Black History, I love other people’s drama, and I love engaging story telling. Our Ancestors Were Messy combines it all. This is one of two of my favorite podcasts ever and I’ve been binging as many episodes as I can and telling everyone who will listen about it. I hope it continues on forever, it’s especially timely.
I am absolutely obsessed with this show and in awe of the beautiful storytelling, education, insight and humor Nichole and the guests share! I feel seen on so many levels listening to the show and understanding our ancestors and myself through the powerful lens of their humanity. Thank you for your dedication and diligence to dynamic Black media! You have a lifelong fan and supporter in me!!!
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #41 | |
Apple Podcasts | #163 | |
Apple Podcasts | #76 | |
Apple Podcasts | #144 | |
Apple Podcasts | #144 | |
Apple Podcasts | #174 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Content focuses on the untold stories of Black Americans during the pre-Civil Rights Era, intertwining historical narratives with elements of pop culture and gossip from Black newspapers. The episodes provide a unique exploration of the complexities faced by ancestors seeking love, opportunity, and identity while navigating systemic challenges such as Jim Crow laws. Each narrative highlights the drama and human experience behind historical figures, making history relatable and engaging for the audience. The show's blend of education and humor likely captivates listeners who appreciate alternative perspectives on history, particularly those centered on the African American experience.
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Our Ancestors Were Messy. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Our Ancestors Were Messy and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Our Ancestors Were Messy, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Our Ancestors Were Messy, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers Our Ancestors Were Messy has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with Our Ancestors Were Messy:
1. Code Switch
2. The Read
3. Crissle’s Couch
4. Gettin' Grown
5. The Friend Zone
Our Ancestors Were Messy launched 2 years ago and published 19 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Our Ancestors Were Messy from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Our Ancestors Were Messy. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Our Ancestors Were Messy include:
1. Jason Reynolds
2. Natalie Tulloch
3. Christabel Nsiah-Buadi
4. Chioke I'Anson
5. Amaya Zahar
6. Nigel Turner
7. John Delore
8. Alicia Walters
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.