Kaylan McGhee's Uncle Nearest Blog Post: A Taste of Legacy
Visiting the Uncle Nearest Distillery in Tennessee was an eye-opening experience that stressed the importance of researching our history and refraining from letting our impact as African Americans be disregarded. Fawn Weaver’s Love & Whiskey prepared me to see the power of uncovering our history and impact at the distillery, but being there in person made the story more impactful. Weaver’s mission to honor Nearest Green, a master whiskey maker who taught his techniques to Jack Daniel, is inspiring due to her passion for not letting any history go untold. Being physically present at the distillery and walking its grounds offered an emotional and historical perspective that reading the book did not. Books tell us about ideas and events, but places connect us to memories of lived experiences. The journey itself, from Atlanta to Tennessee, reminded me of the rich history rooted in the South. The roads we freely traveled on once carried enslaved people, farmers, industrial workers, etc. Danielle Allen’s Our Declaration teaches us that freedom and equality have to be lived, not just written down. Visiting the distillery showed me how the same is true for history: you can never fully understand the significance of something until you experience it in some way.
Uncle Nearest’s story made me reconsider what legacy means. Weaver’s refusal to allow our history and impact to remain unacknowledged highlights the importance of remembering all aspects of our legacies. Nearest Green’s genius can be attributed to hundreds of years of remarkable whiskey-making, yet his enslavement made his legacy temporarily disappear under Jack Daniel's. To see his name finally recognized and witness a thriving business in his honor was a powerful expression of legacy. Allen writes about every voice mattering to the “we” in the Declaration of Independence. Uncle Nearest’s story reinforces this, as the recognition of his impact is not only about whiskey but about revealing everyone who contributed to America’s story.
When asked what it means to succeed through something that delights even as it wounds, I reflect on Weaver’s approach to entrepreneurship. She describes entrepreneurship as a responsibility rather than a mere profit organization. By enforcing Green’s legacy, investing in local communities, and revealing history, Weaver demonstrates that businesses can simultaneously repair and educate. The distillery is more than just a site of consumption and consumerism; it is also a place of education and history. This made me think about the conflict between ethics and enterprise. Once a business reaches a certain point, selling its product will come with telling a story. A story that should be told with honesty and acknowledgement of the dark notes that coincide with the history, even if it reveals parts of their past that they wish were erased.
Leaving the classroom and stepping into the distillery, packed with a deep history and story, felt both familiar and new. At Spelman, the history and legacy of African American women, as well as their achievements and stories, are evident everywhere on campus and in the architecture. Walking through the distillery gave me the same sense as every building, barrel, photo, and artwork told a story or displayed a memory. The speakeasy is an excellent example of how the buildings and integrated artwork tell a significant story of history. Being in both spaces reinforces the idea that my impact, not only as an honors student but also as part of a larger community, has the potential to shape history and leave a lasting impact.
By Kaylan McGhee CO'29
Photo #1: Love Story
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