by Megan Valandingham
Picture of the Appalachian Mountains in Cherokee, North Carolina
taken by Megan Valandingham.
For anyone willing to dive deep into the topic of race, ethnicity, and diversity, then the month of February, Black History Month, or Ethnic Equality Month, is the time to celebrate and. embrace the different backgrounds and traditions that make everyone unique. From volunteering and hosting events to educating oneself with workshops, there are many ways the majority can support and celebrate the minority of the United States. Pres. Heather Andolina, who has worked in the field of museum curator since 2011 and who has been President of the Melungeon Heritage Association for the last four years, says:
"Oh, definitely. I like to share facts about the Melungeon people, about racial discrimination, how they’re not white, and how "Melungeon was a slur upon these people of mixed ethnicity...Melungeon didn't become a positive term used by the people until the twentieth century."
Andolina has been president of the Association since 2020, with a mission of bringing together the descendants of the Melungeon people into a community. Andolina says:
"My goal is, I want to bring people into a community. When people first learn of their ancestry, and DNA, I want to bring those reaching out together and teach them about diversity, and how those people formed communities and lived together and married. I want to help heal divisions."
There is a stereotype that Appalachia of being, "white and poor." For years, rumors about the inhabitants of the mountains are backward, ignorant, lazy, are uneducated hillbillies, and for so long people have ignored the rich history and culture that can be found within these mountains. "This goes with diversity and connection, but Appalachia has the stereotype of white and poor, but the Melungeon People prove that Appalachia was diverse, it's not backward or purely white," says Andolina.
While celebrating Ethnic Equality, it is important to remember a near-forgotten multiracial group from United States history. Through intermarriage, Central Europeans, Sub-Saharan Africans, and Native American Groups like the Cherokee created The Melungeon community which lived in Central Appalachia.
Picture of Creek in Gatlinburg, Tennessee
taken by Megan Valandingham.
According to the Tennessee Encyclopedia, in their move from the East Coast into the Hancock-Hawkins County area of Tennessee, one family traces their movement through genetics land grants, and military services between 1790 and 1810.
On July 4, 1884, the public record called the Indian Census Rolls was an Act that called for all public records of Native Americans on reservations should submit annual censuses. Between the years 1885 to 1940, over 692 census rolls were turned in for the Indian Census Rolls.
Newman's Ridge of Tennessee in Hawkins County is the center of the Melungeon community and expands into Lee, Scott, and Wise counties of Southeast Virginia, Tennessee, in Newman's Ridge, was a well-known Melungeon Settlement. "Melungeon People had a 'mystery' to them. I think when the lighter complexion people acknowledged these people in Appalachia, they wondered, "How did they get there?" says Andolina.
The term, "Melungeon," is believed to come from the French word, "mélange," or mixture. It was first used as a derogatory term used by white America against these mixed-race people. It was not a term that these people used to describe themselves, and it wasn't until the twentieth century was the term, "Melungeon," was adopted by the group as a positive name.
Instead, they used stories to explain their complexions. "I am of Melungeon descent. Through stories and DNA, we just always knew something. The Melungeon, just trying to get through racial climates, had stories. Mine was, "We're Cherokee," but later we learned there was African, European," says Andolina.
Unfortunately, there were many who denounced and some who still do, their African Heritage, choosing to either identify as 'white' or 'native.' "Too black to be white, and too white to be black, is a struggle that we still face today. People of darker complexion, my grandmother and family members, still face discrimination," says Andolina.
However, a lighter complexion did not save them from discrimination either. "A woman of blonde hair and blue eyes was still discriminated against simply because Vardy Valley was her home..." says Andolina.
The Name Census is a public record that gives a long list of traits and histories of the Melungeon People. While it does not list every surname, this record lists some common Melungeon surnames like "Bowlin, Bunch, Collins, Denham, Epps, Evans, Fields, Goins, Gibson, Mullins, Reeves, Williams, and more.
Back to the Melungeon Heritage Association, was started in 1997 to document and preserve the history and culture of the Melungeon People of Appalachia, as well as mixed-race people of the South. Their upcoming events include their June twenty-first to the twenty-second Conference in Hillsborough, North Carolina, a collaboration with Beverly Scarlett's group Indigenous Memories, season five of their podcast, and a November art exhibit in collaboration with Cain Center for the Arts and Catawba Cultural Center in support of Indigenous and Melungeon Artists. The Association hopes to continue its reach across the globe to build a community of shared ancestry.
These "mysterious people" are not a race lost to time but were unfortunately victims of racist and classist rhetoric of the times from white America. They are remembered through various records, images, and their descendants today. And thus, should be remembered during a month of Ethnic Equality.
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