Syriana Etheart: The Power of Action & a Legacy

     Prior to this field trip I knew nothing of Uncle Nearest and his legacy. His story being intertwined with that of Jack Daniels seemed like another one of those stories in which the efforts and contributions of a Black individual is hidden in the shadow of a white man. I’m happy that in this case, that wasn’t the reality. 

Oftentimes when I picture traveling somewhere historically significant, I think of an old building stuck in the past, preserved in its original nature. With the Uncle Nearest Distillery however, it was the complete opposite. To stand on that field and enter those green doors, I began to understand that I was visiting a place in which the past, present, and future collided. Uncle Nearest Distillery is the manifested legacy of Nathan Green. It is a business, a successful one at that. And finally, in the words of Keith Weaver, the distillery is a “steward for something great”. With reading, I’m able to immerse myself into the story of Uncle Nearest. However, traveling to Tennessee and touring the distillery has shown me that our actions are always a part of something bigger. When Nathan Green combined the filtering techniques of his African heritage to distill whiskey, he would’ve never known the magnitude of his actions. He was simply distilling for his master. His actions and expertise would snowball, all the way from from the 1800s until now. Thus, I believe being at the distillery served as a reminder that our actions are forever a part of our legacy and will always manifest, in some shape or form, into the future we know. 

As I toured through the distillery with my group, I encountered a strong sense of pride from employees. I was not surprised by this pride at all-how could I blame them. They worked for a company with a rich history and helped produce the most awarded bourbon and American whiskey. However, there must be acknowledgement that Nearest Green Distillery, as much as it is historical, is still a brand. Thus, when considering the angle of brand versus history, there’s a sort of moral and ethical obligation one must have when toeing the line. When Fawn Weaver and her husband decided to embark on this entrepreneurial journey, there must have been an understanding that they were curating something for a larger audience: they were commodifying a piece of history. This can be problematic in some cases, however, the Weavers’ intentionality was clear as day. The experience of preserving the old buildings of the horse farm, the recreation of a speakeasy, the celebration of women’s suffrage, and even the white rocking chairs serve as a testament to Tennessee's history. I believe that the Weavers are intertwining their brand with history; that is an action that allows for both celebration and grief at the same time when it comes to acknowledging the manifestation of Nearest Green’s, and even Tennessee's, legacy. 

In my African and Diaspora of the World class, my Professor, Catherine Odari, made one thing explicitly clear: Afro-descent people have been making significant contributions to society since the beginning. Uncle Nearest Green and his distilling technique validates this statement entirely. As an Afro-descent myself, I’ve come to understand that I’m a part of something bigger than myself. It doesn’t matter that I’m not directly related to Uncle Nearest Green; I know that I carry a legacy of great African American innovators, activists, philosophers, and so many other titles. As an honors student, or simply as an Afro-Caribbean American young woman, stepping outside of the classroom and traveling to Uncle Nearest Distillery, has grounded me. I have a purpose and responsibility, not only unto myself, but to those who will come after me to carefully curate my actions and leave a lasting impact. At the end of the day, Uncle Nearest was simply making whiskey, he didn’t know that one day that it would manifest into something greater than himself. 

Brand vs History: This room, the tour guide explained, gave visitors an opportunity to try the whiskey. The visitors also had the opportunity to pull out the whiskey the traditional way. I think this is a mixture of history and brand because visitors get to experience the process of distilling and drinking whiskey. At the same time, this is clearly an experience that is being curated for visitors.

Love Story Evidence: I found myself very drawn to these white rocking chairs as they gave me a very nostalgic feeling.

They remind me of slow afternoons in which you simply can sit, people watch, and talk with friends and family.

The act of simply being and enjoying others' company is kind of a love story in itself. 

Complication / Tension: During the tour, the tour guide shared how this stained glass window and the images represented different aspects of Tennessee and its role in the woman’s suffrage movement. In particular, the white bow pays homage to the white woman who marched in Nashville when it came time for Tennessee to cast its vote. I think it’s important to recognize this point of history but it does exclude Black women from the suffrage movement and fails to recognize their contributions.

- Syriana Etheart