The term Melungeon, applied to a group of people in Southeastern Appalachia marked by swarthy skin and dark eyes, has been used disparagingly in the past. But Melungeons themselves reclaimed that name in the 1960s. The Melungeon Heritage website details some of the mystery behind their origin. The name comes from the French term melange, meaning “mixture.” This is part of a complete episode.
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I listened to this with interest, never having heard the word “Melungeon” before. And a recent “Psychology Today” has an article on the topic. (Apologies if you mentioned it; it’s been a while since I heard the podcast!)
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/201410/the-past-is-written-your-face