The Melungeons

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Monday, May 16, 2005

Melungeons, history, genealogy, research, articles - J. P. Bible - Review

"Melungeons Yesterday and Today - Thirty Years Later

by Wayne Winkler

A few weeks ago, my mother was visiting our home to meet her new grandson. We talked about my late father�s Melungeon family, and my mother mentioned one uncle whom she was pretty certain would never have acknowledged his Melungeon heritage. I went to a bookcase and pulled out a book -- Jean Patterson Bible's Melungeons Yesterday and Today -- and showed the title page to my Mom. The uncle in question had signed the book when he gave it to me nearly thirty years ago. It was his way of acknowledging our family heritage. It was also a testament to the impact this slim volume had on our people.

Melungeons Yesterday and Today was published by its author, Jean Patterson Bible, in 1975. Thirty years later, it remains a landmark work. It has served as the foundation for Melungeon researchers ever since it first appeared.

Brent Kennedy, author of The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People, says, 'Jean Patterson Bible performed a great service in trying to instill pride among Melungeon descendants, as well as preserving as much of their culture as she possibly could. She provided a strong foundation for later researchers, all without the benefit of electronic research tools exemplified by the Internet, photocopiers, and so on. She is truly an icon in Melungeon research.' "

The Melungeons
The Melungeons

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