Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the world’s leading Black-owned spirits brand, is proud to launch its second annual HBCU Old Fashioned Challenge, a nationwide initiative dedicated to supporting HBCUs.
Intending to raise $1.4 million, this inspiring initiative aims to provide one full tuition scholarship at each accredited HBCU nationwide.
The campaign, which commenced on January 15, 2024 (in honor of MLK Jr. Day) and will culminate on June 19, 2024 (in honor of Juneteenth), two pivotal dates in Black American history, invites individuals nationwide to participate in the fundraising effort.
Highlighting the vital role of HBCUs in fostering academic excellence and driving equity, the initiative underscores the need to address historical underfunding. Despite constituting less than 3% of the nation’s colleges, HBCUs have consistently produced a significant percentage of Black professionals, including doctors, attorneys, and judges.
Fawn Weaver, CEO and founder of Uncle Nearest emphasizes the brand’s commitment to ensuring financial barriers do not hinder talented students from receiving the education they deserve. Weaver shares, “Before we sold our first bottle of Uncle Nearest, we were already funding the college education of Nearest Green’s descendants. Every semester, writing those checks brought me immense joy, knowing the significant impact they would have on each student’s life. This same feeling resurfaced when I began writing tuition checks to HBCUs for our Old Fashioned Challenge. It’s an honor, and my hope is that we can continue this tradition annually with the checks growing larger as the Uncle Nearest whiskey family expands.”
“Uncle Nearest gives a lot, with ‘pulling as we climb’ being part of our DNA right from the start,” said Victoria Eady Butler, great-great-granddaughter of Nearest Green and four-time Master Blender of the Year. “But this challenge is something special, ’cause we’re inviting our whiskey family to join us in giving back. Seeing the excitement from them, and our thousands of retail, restaurant, bar, hotel, and airline partners across the country even before this year’s challenge kicked off, well, that lets me know we’ve started something extraordinary. To our whiskey family and partners everywhere, thank y’all!”
