Eric Mingus uncovers origins of a famous family’s saga

Eric Mingus and GSMNP Superintendent Cassius Cash unveil a new sign outside Mingus Mill in Great Smoky Mountains National Park at a ceremony held Tuesday, May 23, 2023. The new sign describes how the Mingus family experience in America touches on “some of the country’s sharpest historical notes.” Provided by Great Smoky Mountains Association.

Eric Mingus is intimately familiar with his father’s story. For better or worse, it’s a story that has followed him throughout his life and shaped his own path as a performing artist. The story goes something like this: Born in 1922, Charles Mingus Jr. came of age in Los Angeles, California, where he received training […]