Joshua R. Wilmeth

June 4, 2008

Research in Allied Health

The Melungeons: The Resurrection of a Proud People

A Critical Analysis of Brent N. Kennedy     

Many cultures influence the American way of life according to Brent N. Kennedy, the author of “The Melungeons”.  The amount of diversity in ethnicity is absolutely overwhelming and quite interesting when viewing the history of the United States.  After much research and conversing with scholars, Kennedy came to his own conclusions about his ancestors.  The origin of the Melungeon people consists of various Indian tribes, Turks, Moors, Scotch-Irish, and early colonists of the eastern United States.  They are believed to have settled as early as 1567, which is quite shocking to the unknowing reader.  One must view the potential for the emergence of disease with such movements of diverse populations.  Diseases that have been associated with the Melungeons are sarcoidosis-affects many of the bodily systems, thalassemia- rare blood disorder that produces deficient red blood cells, familial Mediterranean fever, Machado-Joseph disease, and Behcet’s syndrome- multisystem inflammatory disease.  Research has and will provide a gateway to understanding the Melungeons’s medical histories, and also the genealogical components of Americans.

Kennedy and various researchers have been able to locate origins of some diseases as far as the Middle East and Mediterranean countries.  Others such as Machado-Joseph disease (disorder of the central nervous system), are found in Tennessee and North Carolina.  These diseases that affect Melungeon populations do not characterize their race.  The rare illnesses are simply passed down from descendents, and do not affect every person that is of this heritage.  These diseases can be classified as minor skin lesions to life threatening neuromuscular diseases.  Although not all researchers are in agreement concerning Melungeon origins, culture, or pathology, there is sufficient evidence that these diseases were passed throughout many generations through genetics.

Many scholars, authors, and historians often disagree about whence the Melungeons came.  Much controversy has resulted in differing opinions and yet there are still more facts to uncover.  Researchers should focus on the rare diseases that affect these people, and try to trace their original locations.  The qualitative research performed by Kennedy led him down many roads and possibilities.  These “genetics” can very well come from Portugal, Spain, and any of the Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Rome.  Yet with the knowledge of research, doctors are able to diagnose people according to their backgrounds.  Melungeons may not have the same illnesses as others, but medicine and research helps to narrow down the possibilities.  By understanding different heritages, we are able to provide the proper treatment for those who suffer from any of these diseases thought to be of Melungeon relations.  Doctors are able to “thumb” through one’s heritage to find evidence of any of the disease previously mentioned, and relate their history to the present patient.  This is especially true of the Melungeons and their descendents. We can learn through research of the history and pathology of the Melungeon people, and it can help the medical field to understand how to better treat each disease.