Walk toward the Sunset

This essay examines the transformation of Melungeon identity in American cultural narratives, focusing on Kermit Hunter’s 1969 outdoor drama Walk toward the Sunset . Once depicted as racially ambiguous monsters, the Melungeons of East Tennessee were historically marginalized as reflected in sensationalist journalism and folklore. Hunter’s play, commissioned to promote tourism in Sneedville, Tennessee, picks up the reframed narrative of Melungeons as noble, misunderstood pioneers, erasing their African heritage in favor of romanticized European origins. Through a reading of the play and historical accounts—particularly Will Allen Dromgoole’s 1890 horror-tinged feature story—the essay explores how narratives of monstrosity, miscegenation, and liminality shaped public perception. Drawing on monster theory, disability studies, and cultural history, the essay argues that the Melungeons’ evolving image—from feared outcasts to commodified curiosities—reflects broader anxieties about race, purity, and national identity. Ultimately, the essay critiques how historical pageantry and folklore have both obscured and mythologized Melungeon heritage, reinforcing dominant racial ideologies under the guise of celebration.