Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
A massive colorful mural is in progress, depicting the “courageous integration” and subsequent social justice impact of six defiant Black golfers, who on December 7, 1955, decided to play on the then segregated, public Gillespie Golf Course. Those courageous men were: Dr. George Simkins Jr., Phillip Cooke, Samuel Murray, Elijah Herring, Joseph Studivent and Leon Wolfe.
Scheduled for an official dedication and unveiling August 5, by invitation only, the 20-feet high by 90-feet wide mural is situated on the east facing side of the First Tee building on the golf course. First Tee is a youth golf development organization, which participated in a community wide effort to commission the project to elevate the story of the golfers — known as the Greensboro Six — while celebrating their impact on the game of golf, providing inspiration to the leaders of the 1960 Sit-in Movement at F.W Woolworth lunch counter on nearby Elm Street, and the Gillespie Golf course itself.
At a recent public input session, Brooklyn artist Vincent Ballentine discussed how he researched the “courageous action” to develop his winning proposal about the Greensboro Six, saying they were key players in the civil rights movement whose purposeful actions ultimately helped lead to the desegregation of professional golf. With his artist colleague Andre Trenier, Ballentine explained how he met with residents, spoke with community leaders, saying he was tweaking the mural’s initial rendering up to the last moments before starting work. Ballentine’s mural design was chosen from more than 50 candidates around the nation.
Two family members of the Greensboro Six attended the input session, Richard Herring, brother of Elijah Herring; and Majorie Murray Bryant, daughter of Samuel Murray. They joined Greensboro City Councilmembers Sharon Hightower (District 1) and Goldie Wells (District 2).
In December 1955, one week after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Ala., bus, six Black men led by dentist Dr. George Simkins began a local movement of their own by defiantly playing a round of golf at the Whites-only Gillespie Golf Course. They were later arrested, convicted of trespassing and spent 15 days in jail. Seven years and numerous court cases later, their actions led to the desegregation of the Gillespie course. In 1961, The Greater Greensboro Open (now the Wyndham Championship) became the first PGA TOUR event in the South to welcome a Black player, Charlotte native Charlie Sifford. Today, Wyndham is a major funder of First Tee and the mural project.
As the artists painted the mural, local resident and frequent Gillespie course golfer Marion Jackson, while practicing chip shots nearby, said the Greensboro Six’s courage continues to inspire him. “What they did makes Gillespie much more impressive to play golf as a Black man on a course that generations ago courageous men fought and were persecuted for just playing golf; to give us the opportunity to come out here and play, which is inspiring and monumental to me.”
