Who is John Cummings from the nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed?

Smith refers to and describes his meeting with John Cummings in the chapter "The Whitney Plantation." John was "the owner of the Whitney from 1999 to 2019" and "invested close to ten million dollars in the plantation" (57). Having had careers in law and real estate, when John first purchased "the old Whitney Plantation," he simply perceived it as "another potentially profitable real estate acquisition" (75). However, once John began reading more about the plantation's history and studying the accounts of those enslaved on the property, his understanding of its significance changed. He became devoted to using the place as an educational tool. Although John is a controversial figure, often seen as an exploitative and elite white man, John insists that his motives behind the Whitney are humble and pure.