Melungeon Portraits: Exploring Kinship and Identity - Paperback

by Tamara L. Stachowicz (Author)

At a time when concepts of racial and ethnic identity increasingly define how we see ourselves and others, the ancestry of Melungeons--a Central Appalachian multiracial group believed to be of Native American, African and European origins--remains controversial. Who is Melungeon, how do we know and what does that mean? In a series of interviews with individuals who claim Melungeon heritage, the author finds common threads that point to shared history, appearance and values, and explores how we decide who we are and what kind of proof we need.

Author Biography

Tammy Stachowicz is a professor of social sciences and leadership, co-director of the Center for Teaching Excellence, and associate department chair at Davenport University, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The granddaughter of a coal miner from Middlesboro, Kentucky, she has researched family stories and innuendo and applied academic theories to her discoveries.