Turning History into Reality and Uncovering the Truth at the Uncle Nearest Distillery- Jordan Benjamin

Through reading Fawn Weaver’s Love & Whiskey, it was insightful to see how she unearthed the hidden history of Nearest Green and his accomplishments. Visiting the Uncle Nearest Distillery added a whole new viewpoint on this story as we were able to feel as if this history was around us, not just on the pages. Along with allowing for the program to occupy this historical space, this trip also raised questions around healing, entrepreneurial responsibility, and personal growth.

The story of Nearest Green and the coming of the Uncle Nearest brand is a prime example of success through pain. Success through something that delights even as it wounds means being able to continue to persevere and support a cause, even when you feel as if you have been harmed. In the example of the Nearest Green descendants, this can be represented by them being joyful in the fact that the story of their ancestor’s life is told through the Uncle Nearest brand, but being hurt by how his memory was finally brought to light. The family had worked for years for Jack Daniels, but it took outsiders who knew nothing of the story to bring this history to worldwide attention. While Jack Daniels eventually recognized the story, it hurt to feel as if the brand they had given years of loyalty to failed to recognize their known history until Fawn Weaver took it over. Their support of the brand is, therefore, a prime example of success through something that delights even while a wound is still present. 

When owning a liquor brand, responsibility must also come into play. Entrepreneurship crosses into responsibility for what you sell when the items you push and promote can cause harm to those in your community. In regard to selling alcohol, you must be aware of the harm that you may be inviting into the community by having readily available influences. In Honors English with Dr. Hite, we have discussed the ethical reasoning behind owning a liquor store/brand in conjunction with our readings of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun and Love and Whiskey. When wanting to own a liquor store or brand, the owners must debate their own ethical and moral standings to decide if they believe it is the best situation for not only their community but themselves. Alcohol is one of the leading forms of substance abuse, and a plethora of liquor stores can be found in minority communities, causing harm to the health of communities that already have a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. 

Reading alone shows us that history exists, but fails to place history in the perspective of current times. It allows the reader to believe that something exists in the past rather than still being amongst us. Traveling from Atlanta to Tennessee and stepping outside of the classroom showed me the ties to the present by opening my eyes to how much history lives among us. With a 3 and a half hour bus ride, the honors program was able to immerse itself into a shred of history. While traveling was insightful, I am interested in learning more about the history that is around us in Atlanta and may possibly be right up the street. This retreat invites me to see myself as a part of a larger story and has made me curious to learn more about African American history in South Carolina, where I’m from, and in Georgia, where I currently reside. With censorship taking a large role in education now, doing independent, credible research is vital to being an informed citizen of society. I hope to be able to learn more about lesser known history in my community and bring it to light for those around me.

Jordan Benjamin CO’29

Love Story Evidence:

Complication or Tension:

Brand vs. History: