Posted: Fri 03 Jul 2009 11:32 Post subject: 13th MHA Union Nurtures Scholarship and Fellowship
13th MHA Union Nurtures Scholarship and Fellowship
by K. Paul Johnson, July 1, 2009
A year ago I posted on my blog that the Melungeon Heritage Association had hosted a successful and harmonious 12th Union despite earlier events in the year which had led to creation of a rival organization. Since then, I have become a consultant to the MHA board and was involved in the planning for the 13th Union, just completed in West Virginia. There is inevitable bias in my perception of this year’s Union, but there seems to be a general consensus that it was extremely successful both in scholarly content and in terms of creating an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere. Some presentations provided abundant food for thought; others nurtured our feelings of solidarity among mixed-ancestry groups; most did both. There are some areas where we need improvement, which I will allude to below. But for an all-volunteer group whose board only meets a couple of times per year, MHA put on an exemplary conference. Conferees had gathered informally on Thursday evening at Chief Logan Conference Center in Logan, West Virginia, a venue that provided abundant meeting space and excellent accommodations. New friendships were formed throughout the conference, and old friendships were renewed. But next year we might try to create a period of introductions to make sure than no one feels left out or ignored.
The conference included presentations about West Virginia history, and after welcoming remarks from the Logan County Commissioners and Chamber of Commerce, the first presentation was by Adam Hodges, West Virginia Director of Museums. He led us on a visual tour through the new West Virginia State Museum, which just opened to the public the week before the Union. Its design incorporates many state-of-the-art museum features, and I was motivated to return to West Virginia to visit the outstanding facility. Visitors follow a path which begins in prehistoric times with an introduction to Appalachian geology, and are led through a chronological series of galleries depicting different eras in state history.
The second presentation of the morning was Melungeons 101 by Dr. Terry Mullins. Terry is a Professor of Education at Concord College, and demonstrated his mastery of education technology with a superb power point presentation covering what is known of Melungeon history and the many unknowns that continue to intrigue researchers. His program was so helpful in introducing newcomers to the Melungeon story that I would like to see it featured at all forthcoming Unions. He has presented it to many other groups, most recently to an educational conference in Nevada, and made it so entertaining and informative that veteran MHA conference-goers enjoyed it as much as those new to the subject.
Dr. Elizabeth Hirschman of Rutgers University closed out the morning sessions with an intriguing and very up-to-date report on DNA profiling of the Appalachian Melungeon community. She is a very lively and amusing presenter, whose enthusiasm for her subject matter was infectious. It is hard to imagine any student falling asleep in one of her classes! She had just gotten DNA Fingerprint profiles of her own parents, which she discussed along with her own matches to give a vivid picture of the complexity of Melungeon genetic heritage. In addition to matches from Africa that suggest sub-Saharan admixture, Beth found abundant evidence of Gypsy ancestry along with Mediterranean matches that are often found in Southerners with mixed ancestry. Because my own DNA profile, just received in June, pointed to Mediterranean and Gypsy origins, I was especially fascinated by Beth’s discussion of the Spanish Inquisition and its effects on migration to the New World.
The Friday afternoon session opened with a very heartfelt, moving presentation by Dr. Irene Wright, who discovered her Melungeon heritage as an adult thanks to Brent Kennedy’s book Melungeons: (subtitle.) Growing up in the coal fields of eastern Kentucky, Irene experienced discrimination from both white and black communities, and found comfort and security only within her own multicolored Moore family. Although classified with many different racial and color labels in the past, Dr. Wright rejects them all and gave an inspiring call to the audience to join her in rising above them: “We are not ONE thing, we are EVERYTHING!” Her presentation concluded with a slide presentation of family history that gave us a sense of why she had accomplished so much in a distinguished academic career. Even without the support of a community, her extended family gave her the self-respect and drive that were so evident in her presentation to the Union.
The afternoon presentations continued with a report on medical aspects of Appalachian mixed ancestry by Nancy Morrison and Dr. Dorval Donohoe. The conferees were very interested in Nancy’s experience with hereditary illness that points to non-European ancestry, and Dr. Donohoe’s comments on the inadequate response of the medical profession to certain little-known diseases.
A panel that had been scheduled to discuss Appalachian diversity failed to materialize due to cancellations, but Peter Abraham spoke in its place on his experience of growing up in Logan County as an Arab surrounded by immigrants from all over southern Europe as well as earlier white and black inhabitants of the area.
The final afternoon lecture was a slide presentation on the Winton Triangle by Marvin T. Jones. As a professional photographer, Jones has been able to collect and restore several thousand images from Hertford County, North Carolina, where he was born to a family with hundreds of years of history in the mixed-ancestry community in the central portion of the county. All the standard generalizations about mixed groups in the South are belied by the people of the Winton Triangle. Instead of being relegated to marginal lands, they were the earliest landowners to arrive in the 1740s and held land that was very productive, among the best acreage in the county. Despite their nonwhite legal status, the community survived and thrived with its own businesses, educational institutions, and even a beach resort. Marvin’s presentation was so fascinating that many conferees advised us that they wanted him invited to return next year to present at the 14th Union.
Friday afternoon concluded with a showing of Julie Williams Dixon’s acclaimed documentary Melungeon Voices. Having recently attended its debut showing in Raleigh, where Julie and her partner Warren Gentry both live, I missed this showing. Just as the National Genealogical Society audience had received the film with rapt attention, those at the Union who had not been exposed to the documentary were awestruck by the quality of the film. After the film, conferees went to a reception at the Logan Area Public Library, where we enjoyed the hospitality of the library board president Joanne Farmer, who is the sister of MHA president S.J. Arthur.
Saturday’s program opened with an extremely informative and provocative presentation on the Tuscarora Project by University of Memphis historian Dr.Arwin D. Smallwood. I had invited both Marvin Jones and Dr. Smallwood because the Melungeon audience had been so receptive to my program on northeastern North Carolina at the 2008 Union. Both of them were tremendously well received, and many said they could listen to Arwin for three hours. He began with a thorough explanation of the Tuscarora tribe’s contact with Europeans and Africans that preceded arrival of the British in 1685. This was succeeded by a survey of the history of the tribe through the Tuscarora War of 1711-13. The heart of Smallwood’s presentation was the fate of the Tuscarora, already a triracial people, as they were dispersed in many directions during the rest of the 18th century. He left us with some suggestions about how, why, and where the Tuscarora may have contributed to the Melungeon mixture. In hopes of hearing more along these lines, the MHA board is inviting Arwin to return next year and continue reporting on his Tuscarora Project.
The second presentation of the morning was the most I had most eagerly awaited, as it explained possible relationships between Melungeons and Gypsies of English and Irish origin. Caitlin Graham has just completed a bachelor’s degree in history with an anthropology minor at the University of South Carolina, and her senior honors thesis was of special interest to the MHA audience. She traced the history of Gypsy persecution in the British Isles, which led to their being transported to the colonies as undesirables. Some cultural traits of Melungeons are similar to those of Gypsies, whose history of migration from India to Europe might be behind certain DNA results such as those reported by Beth Hirschman. As with so many earlier speakers, the audience was left wanting to know more about the Gypsy/Melungeon connection and hoping that Caitlin will return as a presenter at future unions.
The Saturday morning session concluded with a presentation that matched the high quality of many preceding. As Frank Sweet of Backintyme Publications is my publisher, I may be forgiven for a certain bias, but his detailed explanation of the history of human migration was crystal clear, flawlessly delivered, and fascinating even to those of us with no background in genetic anthropology. He traced the human emergence from Africa and dispersal around the world over a period of more than a hundred thousand years, making easily accessible the findings of a science that is all too little understood by laymen. His presentation was enhanced by many maps showing how humans adapted as we migrated around the world, which were very helpful the audience. Frank has presented on several other topics at previous Unions, and always demonstrates a mastery of detail along with an ability to explain science and history to audiences new to his subject matter.
The final Saturday afternoon session provided both new information as well as reflections to help conferees make sense of all that had gone before. Gregory Carroll of the West Virginia State Archives opened with an explanation of how Native Americans are very rarely recorded as such in state records, where the “mulatto” designation is far more frequently found. For a variety of reasons similar to those faced by Indians in North Carolina and Virginia, Native Americans in the Mountain State were highly motivated to conceal their heritage in census and other records. As a professional archivist, Carroll was very well prepared to handle the questions about genealogical research inspired by his illuminating presentation.
Portuguese presence in the New World was the topic of MHA board member Manuel Mira, who tied together many previous references to Mediterranean presence in the New World with personal reflections on his experiences as a researcher. Among his many intriguing anecdotes, the one which stood out for me was his experience in northeastern North Carolina tracing clues to a local mixed-ancestry group called “Portuguese.” Sometimes research into multiethnic groups can arouse suspicion and distrust, but Mira’s intrepid search for Portuguese traces in America was undeterred by these occupational hazards.
Although many of the Union speakers are deservedly admired, appreciated, and respected for their contributions, there is one who is absolutely loved by all who meet her. Johnnie Gibson Rhea shared her personal stories of growing up on Newman’s Ridge, and anyone who has heard her knows what a master storyteller she is. In addition to authoring three books on her family heritage, Johnnie expresses her creativity through handicrafts. She concluded her presentation with the moment of the Union that was the greatest fun: giving out many prizes of her own making to audience members whose names were drawn from a hat. By the end of her talk, most of us had acquired a crocheted hat or headband, handmade beads, or a variety of other handmade items. If Dr. Smallwood’s presentation was the intellectual high point of the Union, Johnnie’s was the emotional homecoming that made us all feel a sense of belonging.
In his concluding address, clinical psychologist Dr. Elmer Maggard explored the lessons that can be learned from the experience of Melungeons. He talked about the psychological effects of a history of oppression, which can be found in many mixed ancestry groups. The immediate reaction is flight, and the migrations of Melungeons and related groups show that this option was often the one chosen. Fighting back is also an option, as demonstrated by the Lumbees in the post-Civil War era with the Lowrie gang or their later triumph over the KKK. All too often the reaction is to deny one’s identity and pretend to be something else—a form of amnesia. Sometimes oppressed groups are martyred, or go underground to fight. But the option recommended by Dr. Maggard is the formation of community, in which healing of the damage wrought by oppression can be found in mutual support and assistance. In ending on such a positive note, Elmer suggested the fundamental objective of MHA as one of healing.
The Union closed with an MHA annual meeting in which president S.J. Arthur thanked all the presenters, conferees, and Chief Logan staff for a nearly flawless event.
Those of us staying over Sunday night were treated to a visit to Chief Logan State Park where Curator Elizabeth Williams opened the museum for us after hours. This allowed us to get to know our host state and region more immediately, through the many informative and moving exhibits in the museum as well as the beauty of the rugged countryside.
Last edited by fwsweet on Fri 03 Jul 2009 13:30; edited 1 time in total
Mary Lee and I too enjoyed the high caliber of the scholarly presentations. It was an outstanding job by Paul, SJ, Tony and the other organizers. Thank you!
But my most memorable experience came Saturday evening after the conference ended. Mary Lee and I went to "Pickin in the Park," a bluegrass music event held in an auditorium inside the Chief Logan State Park. It was great to relax, after a tiring day delivering my talk and attending presentations, just listening to mountain-music bands perform, one after another. I was drowsing, leaning back in my seat, eyes closed, letting the sound of banjo, fiddle, and guitar wash over me, when I heard Mary Lee's gentle voice murmur in my ear, "We go on stage in ten minutes."
Apparently, SJ had told the organizers that we perform, so they had scheduled us on stage. I ran out to the car, got my banjo (never travel without it), and next thing you know, there we were, banging out "Camptown Races," with local folks of all ages dancing in the aisles. Great fun with wonderfully friendly people.
Still, since then, I have startled awake at 3 A.M. in panic, hearing once again Mary Lee's terrifying words, "We go on stage in ten minutes."
Here are some photos of Mary Lee and me that Paul Johnson took at the conference.
This is me giving a presentation on prehistoric migrations.
This is Mary Lee filming the presenters.
Two of the authors of an upcoming Backintyme book of essays on "racial" identity in the Carolinas. From left to right: Scott Withrow, Marvin Jones, me.
Joined: 24 May 2007 {Posts: 129 } Location: Danville, VA
Posted: Thu 23 Jul 2009 18:14 Post subject: Marvin and Carol's pics
Dear Frank-- A correction. Marvin is a professional photographer and took over 200 photos of the Union. After I got a CD of them, I emailed some to individuals depicted therein. But if Marvin didn't take it, his wife Carol Joyce Jones did, e.g. the one of you, Scott, and Marvin. I'll send another by email that has a third author of the forthcoming collection.
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author of the forthcoming collection.