Initiative to Raise $1M cally Black Colleges and

with influence, shining a light on HBCUs, can do to help. Enrollment in HBCUs grew tremendously after Beyonce’s 2019 film, Homecoming. I am certainly no Beyonce, but I have a spotlight on me, and it’s my greatest honor to be able to shift that spotlight where it should be – on our incredible Historically Black Colleges and Universities. When I reached out to share this program, so many of them asked me, ‘What can we do to help?’ I told each of them that I didn’t want them to do anything. It’s our turn to be torchbearers and give back, asking nothing in return.”

The launch date of the Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned Challenge on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, was strategically chosen to spotlight the legacy of HBCUs in the life of one of our greatest American leaders. At the age of 15, following in the footsteps of his father Martin Luther King, Sr., MLK Jr. enrolled at Morehouse College, a historically Black, men’s liberal arts college in Atlanta, Georgia. Both MLK Jr. and Sr. received their undergraduate degrees from Morehouse. The Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned Challenge extends through Women’s History Month as an homage to Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college and the number one ranked HBCU in America.

How to Support the Campaign

From January 16 to March 31, 2023, consumers will be able to participate in the challenge in one of four ways:

»For every Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned sold at participating bars and restaurants, one dollar will be donated to the challenge.

»Uncle Nearest will donate one dollar for each bottle of whiskey sold at participating online and brick-and-mortar retail stores.

»ReserveBar will sell Old Fashioned Cocktail Kits, featuring a bottle of Uncle Nearest as well as syrup and bitters from Hella Cocktail Co., the Black-owned bitters and soda company. For every kit sold, both Uncle Nearest and ReserveBar will donate one dollar to the challenge.

»During the time period, brand fans can also submit a photo of a homemade Uncle Nearest Old Fashioned at www.oldfashionedcocktail. com. Uncle Nearest will donate one dollar for each image received.

“As a proud Morehouse Man and member of Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi, I’m honored and grateful to work for a company where I didn’t need to go to the leader and say HBCUs need our help,” said W. Jay Madison, IV, Director of Legacy and Strategic Partnerships for Uncle Nearest. “Fawn came to me and said, ‘We have to do something.’ Every one of my team members immediately embraced the mission of this initiative, and our distributors, retail stores and outlets, restaurant, hotel, and bar partners came on board. One million dollars is just the beginning. We expect to see this program get bigger and even better every year, and our hope is other corporations will join with their own initiatives to support HBCUs.” https://www.blackenterprise.com/uncle-nearestlaunches-initiative-to-raise-1m-for-underfundedhistorically-blackcolleges-anduniversities/

For more information on the HBCU Old Fashioned Challenge, including a list of participating bars, restaurants, and retailers, and to follow along on the road to $1 million raised, please visit www. oldfashionedcocktail.com.