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The Greensboro Six changed the game of golf and civil rights. Here's how they're being honored

The Greensboro Six changed the game of golf and civil rights. Here's how they're being honored
KARA, THANK YOU. THE STORY OF THE GREENSBORO SIX IS ONE THAT LEFT AN IMPORTANT LEGACY, BUT IT’S A STORY A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T NECESSARILY KNOW, AND THEY ACTUALLY CHANGED THE GAME OF GOLF IN GREENSBORO AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIGHT FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN OUR COUNTRY. JOSHUA DAVIS JOINS US FROM GUILFORD COUNTY, WHERE PLANS ARE BEING MADE TO HONOR THOSE SIX MEN, A GROUP OF MEN WHO HELPED INTEGRATE GREENSBORO, GILLESPIE GOLF COURSE WILL SOON BE HONORED HERE WITH A MURAL. WHAT DO I THINK ABOUT THEM? THEY’RE HEROES. SIX DAYS AFTER ROSA PARKS REFUSED TO GIVE UP HER BUS SEAT IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, IN 1955, A GROUP OF MEN TOOK A STAND AT A GILLESPIE GOLF COURSE, WHICH WAS WHITES ONLY AT THE TIME. THEY’RE NOW KNOWN AS THE GREENSBORO SIX. PHILIP COOK, SAMUEL MURRAY, ELIJAH HERRING, JOSEPH STURDIVANT, DR. GEORGE SIMKINS JR AND LEON WOLFE. THE MEN PAID $0.75 EACH AND TEED OFF AFTER PLAYING NINE HOLES, THEY WERE ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH TRESPASSING. THEIR CASE WENT BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT, WHOSE DECISION WOULD LATER LEAD TO THE COURSE BEING INTEGRATED. BY 1962. NOW, ALL THESE YEARS LATER, A MURAL IS BEING COMMISSIONED IN THEIR HONOR. ONE MAN I SPOKE TO, 73 YEAR OLD WILLIAM BROWN, SAYS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT’S LONG OVERDUE. THEY STOOD UP FOR FREEDOM WHEN IT WAS REALLY HARD TO DO IT IN A PLACE WHERE IT WAS HARD TO DO IT. I MEAN, RATHER THAN INTEGRATE THIS GOLF COURSE, SOME PEOPLE CHOSE TO BURN DOWN THE CLUBHOUSE. THAT’S WHAT THEY’RE FIGHTING FOR. THAT’S WHAT THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR. BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU KNOW WHAT? WE’RE PEOPLE FIRST. T CENTRAL CAROLINA IS COMMISSIONING THE MURAL. RYAN WILSON WITH THE ORGANIZATION SAYS PEOPLE HAVE PRIDE IN THE GREENSBORO SIX. HE SAYS WHAT THEY DID FOR THE GAME OF GOLF AND FOR THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE IS A LEGACY THAT NEEDS TO BE KNOWN AND HONORED. GAME OF GOLF IS THIS POWERFUL TOOL THAT CAN CREATE OPPORTUNITIES. THEY CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERYBODY ELSE TO FOLLOW. AND NOW THE BEST THING WE CAN DO TO CARRY ON THEIR LEGACY IS CONTINUE TO USE THE GAME OF GOLF TO CREATE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS, BROWN SAYS. WHILE THE MURAL IS A GREAT TRIBUTE TO THE GREENSBORO SIX’S LEGACY, IT’S IMPORTANT PEOPLE REMEMBER THAT WHAT THEY DID IS ABOUT MORE THAN JUST PLAYING GOLF. IF I THINK IT HAD A BIGGER HAND IN MAKING THIS COUNTRY MORE DIVERSE THAN JUST GOLF, IT WASN’T REALLY ABOUT PLAYING GOLF AT THIS GOLF COURSE. IT WAS ABOUT PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES TO YOU, EVEN THOUGH YOUR SKIN WAS BLACK. THE MURAL IS BEING FUNDED BY WYNDHAM. WILSON ALSO SAYS THE PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE OVER THE NEXT YEAR AS THEY GET COMMUNITY INPUT AND SEARCH FOR AN ARTIST IN
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The Greensboro Six changed the game of golf and civil rights. Here's how they're being honored
The story of the Greensboro 6 is one that’s left an important legacy, but it's a story many don’t know. They changed the game of golf in Greensboro and contributed to the fight for civil rights in this country.Top StoriesTrump indicted for efforts to overturn 2020 election and block transfer of powerResidents, local camp opposed to rezoning request in Rockingham CountyHigh Point's National Night Out builds bonds between law enforcement and the community A group of men who helped integrate Greensboro’s Gillespie Golf Course will soon be honored there with a mural. Six days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, a group of men took a stand at a Gillespie golf course, which was whites-only at the time. They’re now known as the “Greensboro Six": Phillip Cooke, Samuel Murray, Elijah Herring, Joseph Studivent, George Simkins Jr., and Leon Wolfe. The men paid 75 cents each and teed off. After playing nine holes, they were arrested and charged with trespassing. Their case went before the supreme court, whose decision would later lead to the course being integrated by 1962. Now, all these years later, a mural is being commissioned in their honor.Seventy-three-year-old William Brown, whose been playing at the course for a few years, says this is something that’s long overdue. "The Greensboro Six would have been happening when I was in grade school or early grade school," he said. "What do I think about them? They're heroes. They stood up for freedom when it was really hard to do it, in a place where it was hard to do it. Rather than integrate this golf course, some people chose to burn down the clubhouse. That's what they're fighting for. Because you know what? We're people."First Tee of Central Carolina is commissioning the mural. Ryan Wilson, the CEO of the organization, says people have pride in the Greensboro Six. He says what they did for the game of golf and for the country as a whole is a legacy that needs to be known and honored. "The game of golf is this powerful tool that can create opportunities," he said. "They created opportunities for everybody else to follow, and now the best thing we can do to carry on their legacy is continue to use the game of golf to create new opportunities." Brown says while the mural is a great tribute to the Greensboro Six's legacy, it's important people remember that what they did is about more than just playing golf. "I think it had a bigger hand in making this country more diverse than just golf," he said. "It wasn't really about playing golf at this golf course. It was about providing opportunities to you. Even though your skin was black."The mural is being funded by Wyndham. Wilson says the project will take place over the course of the next year as they get community input and search for an artist.Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |

The story of the Greensboro 6 is one that’s left an important legacy, but it's a story many don’t know. They changed the game of golf in Greensboro and contributed to the fight for civil rights in this country.

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A group of men who helped integrate Greensboro’s Gillespie Golf Course will soon be honored there with a mural.

Six days after Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Alabama, in 1955, a group of men took a stand at a Gillespie golf course, which was whites-only at the time. They’re now known as the “Greensboro Six": Phillip Cooke, Samuel Murray, Elijah Herring, Joseph Studivent, George Simkins Jr., and Leon Wolfe.

The men paid 75 cents each and teed off. After playing nine holes, they were arrested and charged with trespassing. Their case went before the supreme court, whose decision would later lead to the course being integrated by 1962. Now, all these years later, a mural is being commissioned in their honor.

Seventy-three-year-old William Brown, whose been playing at the course for a few years, says this is something that’s long overdue.

"The Greensboro Six would have been happening when I was in grade school or early grade school," he said. "What do I think about them? They're heroes. They stood up for freedom when it was really hard to do it, in a place where it was hard to do it. Rather than integrate this golf course, some people chose to burn down the clubhouse. That's what they're fighting for. Because you know what? We're people."

First Tee of Central Carolina is commissioning the mural. Ryan Wilson, the CEO of the organization, says people have pride in the Greensboro Six. He says what they did for the game of golf and for the country as a whole is a legacy that needs to be known and honored.

"The game of golf is this powerful tool that can create opportunities," he said. "They created opportunities for everybody else to follow, and now the best thing we can do to carry on their legacy is continue to use the game of golf to create new opportunities."

Brown says while the mural is a great tribute to the Greensboro Six's legacy, it's important people remember that what they did is about more than just playing golf.

"I think it had a bigger hand in making this country more diverse than just golf," he said. "It wasn't really about playing golf at this golf course. It was about providing opportunities to you. Even though your skin was black."

The mural is being funded by Wyndham.

Wilson says the project will take place over the course of the next year as they get community input and search for an artist.

Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts

NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |