by James R. Beatty
[See more daily coverage: April 5 | April 6 | April 7 | April 8 ]
It is April 4, 2018 and I am overjoyed to be seated in the magnificent Media room at the Masters in Augusta, Georgia but I must remember the significance of this date and pay homage to how I and others of color were able to gain access to this golfing venue and other golf courses across the nation. Yes, it was 50 years ago today that Martin Luther King Jr. was struck down and killed by the assassin’s bullet in Memphis TN.
It would be a 7 years later to the date that Lee Elder would become the first African American to play in the famed Augusta Invitational. It is also interesting to note that Lee Elder received hate mail and death threats when he played in the Masters. It would also be 7 years and 8 months later that Eldrick “Tiger” Woods would be born. So the significance on my being here is not lost as today the nation commemorates the MLK assassination which was born of hate and racism while simultaneously waiting to coronate a new champion, who will be loved by all in Augusta for sure.
RELATED ARTICLE: Lee Elder’s Next Big Hurdle in Golf: The World Golf Hall of Fame
Thank you, Martin, for your ultimate sacrifice, I am not in this chair without you. Thank you, Lee, for your grace and courage under fire. Thank you, Tiger, for what you have done and what many of us hope you will do this week. Golf and America still have a way to go.
Stay tuned for more from the Masters!
James R. Beatty is Founder of NCS International, an Omaha, Nebraska-based company that providers of an array of economic development services. He serves as Executive Editor at the African American Golfer’s Digest and on the Golf 20/20 Diversity Task Force.
