(2-week wait. If you don’t mind waiting for a marathon and not a sprint, please proceed with placing your order.)
 
Ned E. Williams was my 3rd generation grandfather who was born a slave but died a professor.
He attended what is now Tuskegee University, befriending both Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver.
He founded what is now Ned E. Williams Magnet STEAM Academy in my hometown of Longview, Texas, where I had the pleasure of serving as the elementary music teacher during the 2019-2020 school year.
 
Step into the olfactory memoir of Ned E. Williams, a fragrance steeped in resilience, intellect and ancestral pride. Inspired by my great-great-great grandfather - a man born into slavery who transcended time and circumstance to become a Tuskegee Institute student and later professor - this scent is a deliberate, measured journey. It is not a sprint, but a marathon to the drydown, mirroring the pace of his rise from bondage to brilliance.
 
Created with reverence, this avant-garde leather-based composition reads like a suspense novel - each chapter unfolding with intensity, intellect and emotion. From the very first spritz, you're invited to anticipate what's next, much like a student leaning into every word of a wise professor.
 
Fragrance Story
The opening notes greet you with citrus and a touch of rose-essenced blackberry - bright yet brooding, like a curious mind cracking open a new book. Black tea and felt pen ink evoke the scent of study halls and handwritten lectures, while the presence of paper and old books conjure a scholarly depth.
 
As the story deepens, a chorus of Safranal, Ethyl Safranate and Choya Raal (with its nostalgic nod to felt tip ink) emerges, layering intrigue upon intrigue. A whisper of blackberry floats through - elusive, nearly imperceptible - adding richness to the dark, inky leather beneath.
 
The base settles with Copaiba, Oakmoss, Indonesian Patchouli, Labdanum and a quiet strength of Texas Cedarwood and Haitian Vetiver, all bound by a hint of Arabian Oud Accord that honors the richness of melanin and the gravity of legacy.
 
To You, Professor Ned
 
"Trust the process."
 
May your wisdom linger long after the scent fades.
 
May your story continue to whisper through the air. 
 
To You, Grandpa Ned - your legacy lives on through fragrance.