24 Hours in Holly Springs, Mississippi
Last week, I made a quick trip to Holly Springs, Mississippi—a city of 7,000 where my enslaved ancestors once lived. When I first visited in October 2024, I stumbled into what I thought was the Ida B. Wells Museum, only to find myself in a disturbing space filled with Confederate and Nazi artifacts. I wrote about that experience for The New York Times.
Not long after the piece ran, I heard from Larry Rubin, a longtime activist in Holly Springs. He told me the story had made waves locally, and he invited me back for the annual “Behind the Big House” event—where homes with surviving slave quarters are opened to the public. Larry promised a full itinerary: a radio interview, an introduction to other Ayers with Mississippi roots, and most importantly, a chance to meet with the best genealogists in the area, who would help me learn more about my ancestors.
This post is a short, mostly visual glimpse into that whirlwind 24 hours. I’m grateful my friend Jamie Harmon came along to document the journey—his photos say more than I ever could. Larry delivered on every promise and then some. I didn’t find all the answers I was hoping for, but I left feeling closer. And that, for now, is more than enough.
There’s a lot more to this story—more than a Substack post can hold. But I hope you enjoy this quick view into a trip that was surprisingly fun, incredibly encouraging, and far less terrifying (tornado warnings aside) than my last one.
Bev outside the shack where 16 of her enslaved ancestors once slept. The nearby “big house” recently burned, but the owners still refuse to sell either building to her.
With Annie, the owner of Annie’s Home Cookin, and “Little Joe” Ayers, an 83-year-old guitarist whose roots trace back to the same small county as mine—though we couldn’t find a direct connection.
With my host, Larry Rubin—a lifelong organizer who fought for voting rights in the South 50 years ago and still does powerful work today.
The table set for breakfast at The Wynne House. The night before, six of us had a drink on the porch (no restaurant or bar was open past 9pm) and when locals spoke of Ida B. Wells, they said “Ida,” pointing across the street to her childhood home.
Finally found the real Ida B. Wells museum
Last weekend I spent 90 inspiring minutes interviewing Henry Rollins at Versofest in Westport, CT. I could feel the energy jump from his body as we discussed his 50-plus-year friendship with Ian MacKaye, his love of discipline (one meal and two workouts per day), what it was like to hang out at early Bad Brains practice sessions, and his quick trajectory from scooping ice cream at Häagen-Dazs to fronting Black Flag.
All 20 episodes of my podcast, Identified Season 1 are live now. Episode one is with Karen Ayers, a living descendant of the man who enslaved my paternal ancestors. After that, it’s a rapidly growing list of musicians, comedians, authors, chefs and friends talking about family. Identified is available on all major podcast platforms, 100% free and ad free. You can watch short video clips on YouTube and Instagram. Watch for Season 2 in 2025.
Listen: Apple Spotify Amazon Bandcamp Website
My memoir is called My Life in the Sunshine. You can order it here, or listen to the audiobook on Spotify.
I hope to see you somewhere soon. Upcoming events are always listed here.
Nabil Ayers / Brooklyn