Beginning my Melungeon research

Well, I’m going to try my hand at this challenge.

My first direction of research is to address the concerns of folks who have messaged me.

I received this message from Dawnie in May; Hi, on my fathers’ side I have Davis, Spillman, and Ramey as well as Berry all from southeastern Kentucky. My grandmother Margaret Davis is dark and had coarse hair. Always claimed to be Cherokee but nothing in my research shows it. My dad and all his siblings are dark skinned with dark hair with some having blue eyes. 3 great grandmother Ramey who wasn’t related to my grandmother Davis was also said to be black dutch. I am stuck on finding any census records or ethnic listings for these women. My grandmother Davis’s mothers was Kitts Melungeon Surname and I have that line complete. However, I hit a dead end on her father, Thomas Davis and his parents. Any suggestions?