Sloan Mitchell (Class of 2029) - A Taste of History: Uncle Nearest Distillery Edition
“The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."
-Ida B. Wells
(Quote from the inside of the speakeasy in Uncle Nearest Distillery)
During our honors retreat on Saturday, September 13th, we headed to a small slice of history in Shelbyville, Tennessee. I went in with no expectations and a clear mind, especially after spending days tirelessly working on my friend’s campaign for first-year council.
I was looking forward to breathing in country air and being away from the city lights, even for only a few hours. The best part was being in the vibrant history presented in Fawn Weaver’s Love and Whiskey.
Back in Atlanta, my dad always talked about legacy; what we were leaving behind and what he could leave for us. It was interesting to be surrounded by someone else’s legacy at the distillery. The fact that Nearest Green had left his land and genius distillation tips behind for future generations showed the enduring power of African Americans, despite the many attempts to erase and ignore Nearest Green’s history.
In Love and Whiskey, and on the trip, we got to see the crucial contributions to the Jack Daniel brand. I was almost amazed when our tour guide said that Uncle Nearest whisky was a new and small business. Fawn Weaver and the rest of the staff at the distillery are actively being our modern griots, as they tell the untold story of Uncle Nearest. It’s so easy for Black history to get swept under the rug, but people like Weaver refuse to let it go unnoticed—shining a light on the truth. If I had only read the book, I could have pictured Uncle Nearest’s impact in my mind, but actually being on the grounds where his legacy lives made it feel alive.
The distillery takes pride in knowing the fine line between entrepreneurship and the responsibility of selling whiskey. During our conversation with Keith Weaver, my peer asked about the common overuse of alcohol in the Black community and how the distillery addresses that concern. Mr.Weaver said they intentionally encourage moderation, urging customers to drink responsibly. He emphasized that success for Uncle Nearest is far more than selling bottles. It is essential to uplift our history without endangering our future.
So many outside factors are already damaging our future; we cannot repair the future if the damage is coming from inside the Black community. In light of Donald Trump actively trying to erase Black history, such as trying to remove The Scourged Back from the National Gallery of Art, it becomes clearer how important it is for younger generations to bask in the richness of African American history and remember that our story did not begin or end with enslavement.
In my African Diaspora and the World (ADW) class, we often discuss how being enslaved was not the natural state for Africans—being kings and queens was. Uncle Nearest exemplifies that truth: how resilience, innovation, and imagination can rise from a legacy others have tried to erase. Seeing his story honored by Fawn Weaver in Love and Whiskey, and during our trip to Tennessee, reminds me that our history is not just filled with trauma, but is something to be proud of, protect, and carry forward.
Comments
Post a Comment