Understanding the History; The Power of Immersion

Fawn Weaver’s Love and Whisky tells the story of Nearest Green, a previously enslaved African American man who became the master distiller for Jack Daniel’s. Although impressive and a huge accomplishment, Green’s successes were greatly overlooked. Weaver’s book is valuable because it shares a Black contribution that dealt with delayed recognition. The story of Nearest Green finally coming to light allows the Black community to have a story of excellence and pride, reminds us of the endless Black innovators whose stories aren’t often shared, and brings awareness to how Green was exploited and disconnected from wealth that he earned.

Although reading Love and Whisky was an insightful and educational experience, actually visiting the distillery itself brought the history to life in a way that reading a book couldn’t do. To see Green’s accomplishments come alive added much more significance to his actions. Furthermore, the Black community is able to appreciate the area even more when understanding that it is all the result of a Black man’s work, specifically, a formerly enslaved Black man. At the distillery, we see how much the individuals working there value the space, its rich history, and what they’re accomplishing. Coming from school in Atlanta and learning about Nearest Green and Jack Daniel’s, it’s often difficult to grasp how much this history contributes to our present lives, especially when we aren’t in Tennessee or interacting with the community. Traveling to Tennessee and seeing the distillery allowed for a deeper understanding that the stories we learned in class didn’t just end there. They have an impact that isn’t always recognized. This proves how the past has strong ties to the present, even when you don’t experience them firsthand. It’s beautiful to see a legacy live on and Jack Daniel’s thrive, giving us an extended part of Green’s story that the book couldn’t share: the future of Jack Daniel’s whisky.

Nearest Green’s accomplishments, although acknowledged today, went unrecognized for over 150 years. The long-overdue credit created a deep wound for Green because he lacked all of the recognition he could have received during his lifetime, and instead it arrived decades later when he wasn’t here to experience it. Additionally, Jack Daniel’s grew into a massive company, but Green never received the economic benefits of his hard work. Having his accomplishments buried for so long also reflects how often successes in the Black community are silenced, with individuals unable to experience being honored for their craft. Although Green’s work was silenced and the damage was deep, there are dignifying aspects to his story and to the publishing of Love and Whisky. The book allows Green’s genius work to finally be recognized after years of being unacknowledged. The time his work went unspoken makes the publishing of his story even more important. Moreover, although Green wasn’t able to receive the economic benefits of his work during his lifetime, his name is now forever connected to wealth. Unfortunately, regardless of how hard Green worked, it was near impossible to get his name out due to racism and the way history is written in America. At the time of Green’s accomplishments, it was rare for enslaved individuals’ work to be celebrated. America often tried its hardest to shape history in its favor while ignoring the successes of the Black community. Green’s accomplishments carry both delights and wounds. Although he wasn’t able to experience the positive impact of his work, the Black community, Black culture, and Black education will now carry this history forever.

As Black students, being able to experience the physical manifestations of stories we read about in class allows us to develop a deeper appreciation for the texts we read and the history we discover, especially relating to the Black community. Learning isn’t only about understanding, it’s also about applying knowledge in everyday life and recognizing where the history you learn about displays itself in the world. The retreat to the distillery gave us the opportunity to think about our classes and content even deeper, both now and in the future. Visiting history allows students to change the way they learn and take in new information.

Ultimately, the trip to the distillery helped me recognize how big of an impact my community can have on the world. I was able to see what I learned, instead of only reading and visualizing it. Not only do I appreciate my new view on the things I’ve learned, but considering the significance of Love and Whisky and how it revealed important truths about Green’s accomplishments, I can now further appreciate how this new-found history has impacted the community in Tennessee. I feel grateful to be part of such a larger and influential story.

by Lana Washington