Yesterday, we had a chance to visit Gillespie Golf Course in Southeast Greensboro, specifically at 306 Florida Street. The course has so much history, we know we can't do it justice in one post. The recently painted mural captures so much of the history of the course. It is a must-see to learn civil rights history in Greensboro. This 104-acre course opened in 1941. The 9-hole course was built by Perry Maxwell at a time when only whites could play there. On December 7, 1955, five years before the Sit-In by the Greensboro Four, six black men teed-up at the course. These six men were charged with trespassing and spent 15 days in jail. Their act of civil disobedience helped pave the way for integration in the 1960's. The mural and an historic marker honor the men. Greensboro condemned the course and did not open it for seven years.*
Dr. George Simkins Jr. was a local dentist who was instrumental in getting the course integrated and for advancing the causes of social justice and civil rights in Greensboro (and beyond). In 2018, "Our State Magazine" published a wonderful article about the Gillespie Golf Course and the Greensboro Six (see HERE). The above photo doesn't begin to do the mural justice. Close up, the colors are so vibrant. The mural also lists the name of the Greensboro Six: Dr. George Simkins Jr., Phillip Cooke, Joseph Student, Samuel Murray, Elijah Herring, and Leon Wolfe- the sepia figures on the right side of the mural. Vincent Ballentine of Brooklyn created the mural. It was commissioned by Wyndham Rewards. See the QR code with your iPhone camera to learn even more. about the mural, the history and the upcoming documentary.
*reference and more information HERE.
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