The Melungeons: What We Know & What We Don’t

Jes Arnold is an amateur genealogist/researcher and the creator of Melungeon Roots. She is a Melungeon descendant with deep roots in Eastern Kentucky. Jes aims to support those seeking to learn more about their mixed ancestry heritage, foster a greater understanding of Melungeon history and identity, and uncover and retell lost ancestor stories. She lives on a small farm in the Appalachian foothills of central Ohio with her husband Tom and their children. Jes considers herself a land steward of the wild place she calls home, and when not working on the Melungeon Roots project, can be found outside tending to the native plant species she cultivates or exploring and experimenting with her two curious sons. She and her family acknowledge that the lands on which they live, work, celebrate, and heal are the ancestral homelands of the Hopewell, Shawnee, and Ofo peoples, among others.