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In honor of Black History Month, we are celebrating Black history makers across the Midlands. Kicking off our series this week, is a man who you’ve invited in your homes for the last three decades, WIS Sports Director Rick Henry. Plus, we’re exploring a little known Black History fact about America’s favorite whiskey, Jack Daniel’s.

Billie-Jean Shaw sits down with the first Black sports director for a South Carolina television station, Rick Henry, part 1.

In 1980, while working at WPDE in Florence, South Carolina, Rick Henry was promoted to Sports Director. At that time, Rick made history, Black history, as he became the first Black Sports Director at a South Carolina television station.

Billie-Jean Shaw sits down with the first Black sports director for a South Carolina television station, Rick Henry, part 2.

Billie Jean Shaw continues her conversation with WIS Sports Director Rick Henry as he explains the challenges he has overcome in order to become the successful award winning sports broadcaster we know and love today.

Black Expo is hosting a bourbon tasting/ informational session about the history of Jack Daniel's.

Jack Daniel’s is the world’s most popular whiskey brand, but there is a little known Black history fact about Jack Daniel’s. While the face of the drink is of a white man from Tennessee named Jack Daniels, the liquor was actually created by Nathan “Nearest” Green, an enslaved Black man who mentored Daniel on the distilling process to make the whiskey. On Wednesday, February 15th, Black Expo is hosting a bourbon tasting/ informational session about the history of Jack Daniel’s. The event will featuring Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Bryon Copeland the first graduate of the Jack Daniel Distillery and the Nearest Green Distillery’s Advancement Initiative.

The Premium Whiskey & Bourbon tasting and food pairings event will provide attendees with an opportunity to sample a variety of Tennessee Bourbons from the Jack Daniels/Brown-Foreman family. Attendees will also be able to pre order- the exclusive Black Expo Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Personal Selection bottle during the event. Thomas Media Group/Black Expo will utilize the event to support Black History initiatives in the community with a portion of the proceeds of the bottle sales going to THE CENTER FOR CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY AND RESEARCH at the University of South Carolina. To RSVP, click here.

A preview of what's happening next week on Awareness.

Tune into Awareness next week as Billie Jean Shaw continues to highlight Black History Makers across the Midlands.

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