Zahra Dinkins - Loving the Nearest Green Distillery and Loving Blackness

Black history. The history that highlights Black triumph. The history that highlights Black tragedy. The history that tells of the stories of Black people who overcame adversity to achieve greatness. Uncle Nearest is a prime example of a soaring success in Black history. Many people drink whiskey, but few know of the first African American master distiller. More people know of the name Jack Daniel than they do Uncle Nearest. However, Fawn Weaver is working to change that. Fawn Weaver’s founding of the Nearest Green Distillery not only honors Uncle Nearest’s legacy but also spotlights Black excellence. Visiting the Nearest Green Distillery allowed me to be immersed in Uncle Nearest’s legacy and gain a deeper understanding of the impact of Black excellence.

While the reading gave me background on the life of Uncle Nearest, being in the Nearest Green Distillery gave me a physical representation of Uncle Nearest’s legacy by providing me with physical evidence of Uncle Nearest’s whiskey-making process as well as information on the lives of the workers in the distillery. Traveling from Atlanta to Tennessee shaped the way I think about the past and its ties to the present by deepening my appreciation for Black history due to the trip encouraging reflection on the racist past of the areas we traveled through. Further, reflecting on the racist past of the areas we traveled through strengthened my passion for advocacy because it reinforced the gravity of the Anti-Black issues that exist today.

To succeed through something that delights even as it wounds is to use the delight to ease the wounds. If one is able to use happiness to ease sadness, then one is able to prosper. This idea of using happiness to ease sadness is evident in the whiskey industry. The Nearest Green Distillery has had much success in the whiskey industry by staying true to the mission of honoring Nearest Green’s legacy and not succumbing to racism from the media. Entrepreneurship crosses into responsibility for what you sell when what you sell requires more of your attention for expansion. As markets change, so does business. Investments in entrepreneurship will need to match the supply and demand for what you are selling.

The value of stepping outside of the classroom and into a setting like this is getting the opportunity to see firsthand how our conversations have implications for the real world. In the classroom, we have had conversations on topics surrounding loving Blackness. Stepping into the Nearest Green Distillery, I not only saw how Uncle Nearest loved Blackness but I also saw how Fawn Weaver loves Blackness. This retreat invited me to see myself differently as an honors student because it revealed to me the power of education. Being educated or educating yourself on identity-related topics, such as loving Blackness, in the classroom sets you up to be successful outside of the classroom because you better understand yourself. Better understanding yourself means you better understand others and how to treat them. This experience revealed to me just how beautiful loving Blackness truly is.

- Zahra Dinkins