Before We Were White

How did a musical instrument which started off hundreds of years ago in Africa end-up becoming a symbol of "white" American country music? Was this a case of simple cultural appropriation, or is there another story waiting to be told? When it comes to American history, nothing is ever as black and white as people think...

Part Two of "Pre-Deliverance" continues our exploration of some of the forgotten roots of American culture and ethnicity. In this episode, we get closer to understanding the origins of "Hillbilly Jews".

Play a game of word association with the average American. Say "banjo". Chances are, a great many would reply with words like "hillbilly" or "redneck". Some might venture to mention bluegrass music. How did a musical instrument which started off hundreds of years ago in Africa end-up becoming a symbol of "white" American music culture? And what if some of the earliest people of non-African ancestry to take-up the banjo were actually...Appalachian Jews? Join us for another winding trek through the hidden history of heartland America.

In Part 1 of "Black Paddywhackery", we learned about the origins of the Irish people, and asked why so many Americans self-identify as "Black Irish", believing themselves descended from survivors of the Spanish Armada which wrecked off the west coast of Ireland.   Having shown the flaws in this folk history, in Part 2 of "Black Paddywhackery" we explore the true origins of those who call themselves "Black Irish". 

A curious number of Southern Appalachians like to refer to themselves or extended family members as being "Black Irish". There are Facebook discussion groups catering to Appalachian Americans (with tens of thousands of members), and almost weekly an "expert" pops up assuring other members that the "Black Irish" are a thing, and that thing is usually this: "Loads of Irish people have black eyes, dark hair and skin.  They come from Spanish sailors stranded on Irish coasts during the naval retreat of the Spanish Armada in 1588.  These sailors intermarried with local Irish girls."  This oft-repeated folk history - and the assertion that large sections of the native Irish population are dark in complexion due to this - is utter claptrap.

The eastern half of the continental USA is dotted with places inaccurately described as "tri-racial isolate communities". One of the largest such population groups can be found spread over Eastern Kentucky, the western parts of Virginia, East Tennessee, and West Virginia. Widely known as "Melungeons", few Americans have been the subject of such intense scrutiny and curiosity. Who are these people?  And why are they called "Melungeons"?   In this third and final installment of a three-part episode, we complete our exploration of this Appalachian and American enigma.  Is this a story about weirdly exotic or isolated people - or is it a story about the lies and myths at the heart of American identity itself? #BeforeWeWereWhite #history #melungeons #genealogy #GeneticGenealogy

The eastern half of the continental USA is dotted with places often described as "tri-racial isolate communities". One of the largest such population groups can be found spread over Eastern Kentucky, the western parts of Virginia, East Tennessee, and West Virginia. Widely known as "Melungeons", few Americans have been the subject of such intense scrutiny and curiosity. Who are these people?  Where did they come from?   In this episode, we continue our exploration of an Appalachian enigma - asking why so many of these mountain people always claimed Portuguese ancestry, even while outsiders dismissed such folk memory.    Is this a story about weirdly exotic or isolated people - or is it a story about the lies and myths at the heart of American identity itself?

The eastern half of the continental USA is dotted with places often described as "tri-racial isolate communities". One of the largest such population groups can be found spread over Eastern Kentucky, the western parts of Virginia, East Tennessee, and West Virginia. Widely known as "Melungeons", few Americans have been the subject of such intense scrutiny and curiosity. Who are these people?  Where did they come from?   Are they really a mix of Northern European settlers, African Americans, and indigenous peoples? Or is there something more complicated and deeply hidden in Melungeon history? 

Do the mass media and film industry reflect popular culture, or create it? Where do we get our shared history, our national story, our traditions and identity? Follow us as we explore the origins of Christmas in America, while attempting to discover what connects Hollywood, Abraham Lincoln, and, um, Lebanon?

Appalachia has no shortage of murder ballads and murder tales. And Appalachia certainly has no shortage of folklore dealing with "haints" and witches. But sometimes all of it becomes so entangled that separating folklore from fact is almost impossible. Why are so many Appalachian "witches" buried under strange "tent graves"? Did the old-time communities of Middle Tennessee harbor secrets now lost in the mists of time? Follow us into a dark, moss-covered tent grave cemetery to find out...