Unveiled during annual First Tee – Central
Carolina youth clinic, event kicks off a week of activities
supporting the PGA TOUR's 85th annual Wyndham
Championship
GREENSBORO, N.C., Aug. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Civil rights pioneers, The Greensboro Six, are
being celebrated today with the unveiling of a mural at historic
Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro,
N.C. The culmination of a year-long journey first announced
during last year's 84th annual Wyndham Championship, the
outdoor mural, created by Brooklyn-based artist Vincent Ballentine, highlights the six men's
role in helping desegregate the game of golf while celebrating
First Tee - Central Carolina, which today calls Gillespie
home.
"Just over a year ago, we stood in this exact spot and shared
the story of The Greensboro Six, six civil rights pioneers who not
only made history here at Gillespie but in turn, helped change the
game of professional golf. This mural is our way of memorializing
these heroes and sharing their story with a new generation of
golfers—all of whom walk in their footsteps."
- Ryan Wilson,
CEO, First Tee – Central Carolina
"Gillespie is a special place—one that has transformed over
the decades to play a special role in this community. Now, as
future generations of golfers come here and learn the game, it's my
hope that this piece can serve as a reminder, sparking meaningful
conversation about The Greensboro Six and how their courageous
story ultimately helped to uplift this community and empower others
across these great 50 states."
- Vincent
Ballentine, Artist
Sharing the Story
Following today's mural
unveiling, Wyndham Rewards, in collaboration with First Tee -
Central Carolina, announced plans for a short-form documentary
detailing the story of The Greensboro Six and the creation of the
mural. Under direction from two-time Emmy nominated director and
writer, Eternal Polk—best known for his award-winning film, Gaining
Ground: The Fight for Black Land—the film takes viewers
behind-the-scenes with never-before-shared insights and interviews
with surviving family members, local leaders and key community
figures, among others. Slated to debut at a later date, a trailer
for the film is now available at
FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org/Mural-Project.
"It is an honor to help bring to life the story of The
Greensboro Six and their triumph over racism and discrimination.
They are an example of the power of doing good and it's my hope
their story inspires others to continue the fight for
equality."
- Eternal Polk, Director
The Legacy of The Greensboro Six
In 1955, less than 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
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 along with others led to
Gillespie desegregating and later, seeing The Greater Greensboro
Open (now the Wyndham Championship) become the first PGA TOUR event
in the South to welcome a Black player (Charlie Sifford).
Today, Gillespie is home to First Tee - Central Carolina, a
national youth development program using the game of golf to create
life-changing opportunities for local youth on and off the course.
It also has the distinction of being the first course 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 and is one of the
only courses in the Triad catering to players with spinal injuries
and disabilities through adaptive equipment and free programs.
To learn more about the Greensboro Six Mural Project at Gillespie
Golf Course,
visit FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org/Mural-Project.
Images associated with the above release can
be downloaded here.
About The City of
Greensboro
Built around the core values of respect, inclusiveness, safety,
innovation and sustainability, the mission of the City of Greensboro is to shape an inclusive
future for equitable economic opportunity and sustainable, safe
neighborhoods through resident focused services and programs. The
Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department exists to provide
professional and diverse leisure opportunities through inclusive
programs, facilities, parks, and open space, ensuring that
Greensboro is a desirable place to
work, live, and play. Learn more at Greensboro-NC.gov.
About First Tee - Central Carolina
First Tee - Central Carolina is a youth development
organization that enables kids to build the strength of character
that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. Using golf
and life skills as our tools, we provide kids opportunities on and
off the course they may never have otherwise. We are active
throughout the Triad region, and specifically focused on serving
the East Greensboro and East
Winston-Salem communities. Learn more
at FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org.
About The Wyndham Championship
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at
Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham
Championship was founded in 1938 and is the seventh-oldest event on
the PGA TOUR, excluding the Majors. The tournament thanks title
sponsor Wyndham Rewards and presenting sponsor Truist for their
continued support. Additional tournament information is available
at WyndhamChampionship.com and the tournament's social
media channels (@WyndhamChamp)
on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn
pages.
About Wyndham Rewards
Proud title sponsor of the Wyndham Championship, Wyndham
Rewards® is the blue thread tying together some of the world's
largest and most well-known travel companies and
brands: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest
hotel franchising company and Club Wyndham®, the flagship
vacation ownership brand of Travel + Leisure Co. Recognized as
the #1 hotel rewards program by both U.S. News and World Report
and USA Today, members—approximately 110 million enrolled
around the world—earn a guaranteed 1,000 points with every
qualified stay and can redeem for free nights starting at just
7,500 points. With more than 60,000 hotels, vacation club resorts
and vacation rentals globally, no other hotel rewards program is
more generous or offers more places to stay. Join for free
at WyndhamRewards.com.
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