Melungeon Voices Melungeon Heritage Association

Dr. Jose Pimienta-Bey is a tenured Associate Professor of African & African American Studies and General Studies at Berea College in Kentucky for the past fifteen years. Pimienta-Bey's primary research interests include Moorish History, “Black”/African Psychology, Comparative Religious Studies, and African American Social and Political Thought.

He is the author of numerous publications, including Othello’s Children in the “New World”: Moorish History and Identity in the African American Experience (2002) and “Laboring Within the Mind Fields of Global White Supremacy” which appears in The Osiris Papers: Reflections on the Life and Writings of Dr. Frances Cress Welsing (2019) edited by Raymond A. Winbush and Denise L. Wright.

In this season's final episode, Heather and Dr. Pimienta-Bey explore the legal and cultural relevance of Melungeons and Moor identities within U. S. History.

The Melungeon Voices Podcast is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Association (MHA), hosted by Heather Andolina (MHA Board President), and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC).

Scott Withrow is an author, editor, history teacher, as well as a park ranger for the National Park Service. Scott was President of the Melungeon Heritage Association for five years and is the current President Emeritus of the Melungeon Heritage Association. Scott is the editor, as well as an author, of one of the essays in the book, “Carolina Genesis,” which is a compilation of essays about mixed-heritage people, and available on Amazon (link below).

In this episode, Heather Andolina and Scott discuss the founding of the Melungeon Heritage Association, and the ambiguity of mixed heritage and racial identity.



Links referenced in this episode:

Carolina Genesis, available on Amazon here:

https://a.co/d/0hcN0b1

William Isom & the Black-in-Appalachia Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-in-appalachia/id1524089550 



Melungeon Voices Podcast is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Association (MHA), hosted by Heather Andolina (MHA Board President), and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC).

Melinda Trueblood Stimpson is Roma, Native, Jewish, queer, and autistic, and they recently realized that they might be a Melungeon descendant, but is still in the process of researching their Melungeon ancestry. 

Melinda is a scientist, consultant with a co-operative called Ludar Animal Behavior, and is the director of an animal 501c3 non-profit called Adopt Ohio. They work in community healthcare, especially for the Two Spirit and LGBTQIA+ communities. Their current fields of study in academia are neuroethology and neurodecolonization. They are currently working on their social work license and plan to go on to medical school.

In this episode, Heather Andolina and Melinda discuss the possible connections of the Romani/Roma people to the Melungeon people, as well as highlight the diversity and inclusivity within Appalachia.



Links referenced in this episode:

Melinda Trueblood Stimpson: https://linktr.ee/RomaniScientist 



The Melungeon Voices podcast is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Association (MHA), hosted by Heather Andolina (MHA Board President), and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC).

Aaron Collins is an amateur genealogist and researcher. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology, and minor in Appalachian Studies. He served twelve years in the US Army reserves. Earlier this year, Aaron started his own business, Lefthanded Guy Upholstery and Woodworking.



Aaron is a descendant of “Old” Benjamin Collins via his maternal grandfather. He spent his formative years visiting his Mamaw and Papaw in Sneedsville, TN. Additionally, Aaron is on the Board of Directors for the Vardy Community Historical Society in Sneedsville, TN. Aaron lives with his husband and two dogs in Knoxville, TN.

In this episode, Aaron and Heather discuss Melungeon ancestry, the Melungeon settlement of Vardy Valley/Newman’s Ridge, and how one can research their own Melungeon heritage. 

For more information on the Vardy Community Historical Society visit them on the web here: https://www.vardymuseum.org/?mibextid=Zxz2cZ



Melungeon Voices is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Assocation, hosted by Heather Andolina (MHA Board President) and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC).

Joshua Caleb Daniel Outsey, has been an actor, both on stage and on television. He is also a dedicated Community Organizer and hip-hop recording artist and performer.  Joshua is a co-founder of “ Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development” (SEEED) in Knoxville, TN. For over a decade, he has worked as an advocate for racial equality and economic and environmental justice in and around urban and rural Appalachia. He continues to promote diversity and inclusion through his artistic performance and creative writing. Currently, Joshua is a new employee on the archive team at Appalshop. He has been researching and documenting the history of Black Churches throughout Central and South Central Appalachia.  He lives in Big Stone Gap, VA with his wife, Terran Young, and their daughter, Eden.



In this episode, Josh and Heather talk about Appalshop, and the non-profit SEEED, and these organizations' importance in elevating diverse and inclusive Appalachian voices for change.



Melungeon Voices is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Association, hosted by Heather Andolina (MHA Board President), and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC). Visit them on the web at www.melungeon.org to learn more!



* This episode is dedicated in memory of Doris "Jill" Carson.



Links to organizations referenced in this episode:


The Appalchian African-American Cultural Center (AAACC): https://www.aaaculturalcenter.org
Appalshop: https://appalshop.org/
Appalshop Archive Spotlight: https://appalshop.org/news/appalshop-archive-spotlight-documenting-black-churches-in-appalachia
Virginia Organizing/SAMS: https://virginia-organizing.org/https://www.samsva.org/
Kaleb NFI: https://www.instagram.com/kaleb_nfi/https://youtu.be/982wLmyVEbs
Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED) in Knoxville, TN: https://www.seeedknox.org/ 

Professor Emerita, Dr. Kathy J. Lyday, has taught first-year writing, linguistics, grammar, the history of the English language, American literature, Introduction to Literature, literature of the Holocaust, and Appalachian literature at Elon University for 41 years. Her research interests include Appalachian authors, Melungeons in literature,  Holocaust literature, and language use in society. Dr. Lyday has been a member of the Melungeon Heritage Association since 1994 and is the current board Vice-President. She is the co-author of two  historical novels and is currently researching the third book in the series.



In this episode, Heather and Kathy examine the author, Will Allan Dromgoole, and why she is perceived as a controversial figure within the Melungeon community.



Melungeon Voices Podcast is presented by the Melungeon Heritage Association, hosted by current board President Heather Andolina, and produced by Lis Malone (Lis Malone LLC). For more information visit www.melungeon.org