A Lasting Legacy: Honoring the Greensboro Six
In 1955, one week after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, six Black men led by Dr. George Simkins started a local movement of their own by defiantly playing a round at the then 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 would help lead to not only the desegregation of Gillespie but the game of golf as we know it.
Today, through the work of First Tee – Central Carolina, Gillespie plays a very different role in the community, helping to create life-changing opportunities for local youth on and off the course through the game of golf. Where once only some were welcome, today all are welcome. In addition to serving as local First Tee headquarters, the course has distinction of being the first in North Carolina to offer PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), a national program leveraging golf to enhance the wellbeing of active-duty military and veterans. It’s also one of the only courses in the Triad catering to players with spinal injuries and disabilities through adaptive equipment and free programs.
In an effort to commemorate the lasting legacy of the Greensboro Six, Wyndham Rewards—proud title sponsor of the Wyndham Championship and long-time philanthropic partner of First Tee – Central Carolina recently commissioned a mural designed to lift up the story of The Greensboro Six, while celebrating the vital role Gillespie plays in the community today through the work of First Tee – Central Carolina. Created by award-winning, Brooklyn-based artist Vincent Ballentine, the piece is meant to serve as inspiration to a new generation of golfers—reminding them as they walk in the footsteps of those before them—that anything is possible.
In the coming months, the story of The Greensboro Six, as well as the creation of the mural, will soon be subject of a short-form documentary, also under commission by Wyndham Rewards. The hope for the project is to elevate the story of The Greensboro Six, lifting it beyond Greensboro and sharing it with the world. A trailer for the film, can be found below.