Uncle Nearest Blog Post

 Visiting Uncle Nearest Distillery gave me more insight than just reading the book because I was able to interact with people who very closely work with the story of it and have a passion for keeping the legacy alive. I personally do better with interaction than just reading, so being able to have conversations with everyone about the history of the distillery was a way for me to more closely feel the effect of the story and internalize the importance of keeping it alive. Travelling from Atlanta to Tennessee helped me see the different terrain and understand that it is very different from what I'm used to at home. Tennessee is a lot more similar to how it was back then compared to Atlanta. Seeing the difference and how different expanses of land sat as far as I could see helped me understand a little better what they were working on in the book.

Achieving success through something that both delights and wounds requires balancing happiness and suffering, beauty and consequence. For instance, whiskey represents cultural, traditional, and celebratory bonds amongst people but also represents addiction, dysfunctional families, and historical exploitation. It is necessary to acknowledge both sides in order to succeed in this industry. To recognize the joy while also paying attention to the pain. Choosing how to convey the tale, sell with integrity, and mend damage left by others are all examples of true accountability. Profit is no longer the only factor in success; honesty, moderation, and moral accountability are now required as well.

Entrepreneurship crosses into responsibility as soon as whatever you’re selling leaves whatever space you use to create and goes to a place where anyone can access it. Innovation and profit-making alone are not enough. The seller also needs to think about the effect. If the products you sell have the potential to cause pain, exploitation, or injustice, then accountability requires integrity, protection, and restoration. You have to be prepared to take full responsibility if your product hurts someone due to an issue on your end. At the distillery, they take many measures to make sure their whiskey is the best quality they can provide. They have to recognize

risks to health, address historical injustices, and support the communities that are linked with its story. Entrepreneurs take responsibility when they view their customers as individuals who are influenced by the products they purchase, whether positively or negatively.

The value of stepping outside of the classroom to view places like this is that we are able to more closely familiarize ourselves with the content we are learning. I know I personally felt more connected after being able to walk through the grounds and learn how the whiskey is made. Being at the retreat helped me realize just how important it is to keep stories alive. I didn’t even know that a black man made Jack Daniels until we were assigned this reading. It makes me wonder what other stories I never looked deeply into and never learned the deeper story of.

--Nyabinghi Irving