A tragedy, a whirlwind reunion, and a surprise pregnancy put Kier on the path to becoming a therapist and a community leader known the world over. To learn more about Kier Gaines follow @kiergaines on Instagram To hear the trailer for Our Ancestors Were Messy check out the podcasts everywhere you listen and at ourancestorsweremessy.com.

After a societal tragedy, an aspiring writer searches for community by sharing her deeply personal poetic liturgies. To learn more about Cole Arthur Riley, visit https://colearthurriley.com/

Nichole reflects on how she got her writing spark back while she prepares to debut her pilot at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Nichole approaches a crossroads.

Nichole pitches her heart out.

Nichole pauses in a park on her way to her pitch meeting to consider an answer to the question she is certain she will get: how will these stories focused on Black experiences appeal to a wider audience?

Nichole has arrived in LA. She moves into an Airbnb in Franklin Village and starts writing. To her delight, she's invited to pitch one of her ideas to a studio which she hopes will lead to the opportunity to make a show. But whispers of an impending writers strike and widespread layoffs in the podcasting industry begin to make her feel uneasy.

It's Nichole's first big family Thanksgiving post-Covid and she wants to be present, but rising concerns about her upcoming cross-Continental move keep distracting her.

Host Nichole Hill collects stories to guide her as she sets out on a new adventure.

Host Nichole along with her mom and aunt recount the winding paths they took to arrive at an understanding of their place in the world.

Christmas greetings and happy wishes from all of us to you!

Alicia tells us about the Jamaican tradition of hitting the clubs for Christmas and shares how her relationship with being Black has changed since being in the US.

Amelie reflects on the ways in which she is in between two worlds on the holidays and with her relationship with being both Black and French.

Athena shares the Caribbean workarounds for English recipes while reflecting on what calling someone Black British does and does not mean.

Kenny shares Irish Christmas traditions while reflecting on being Black and Irish.

Host Nichole faces fears about continuing the podcast.

Krystal and Nichole compare Black Cards.

Steve finds an OG therapist on the low and decides to keep talking.

On this day in 1899, DC's Black residents update one another on their daily lives in the pages of The Colored American and take a local opera house to task.

A book club revisits a speech made in 1886 and are shocked to learn that their Ancestors were doing so much more than picking cotton.