A street dedication ceremony was held for the recently renamed Charlie Sifford Drive in the unincorporated Athens area honoring the late pioneering black golfer.
Sifford’s son Charlie Jr., his caddy Jimmy Green, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and former Assemblyman Steve Bradford attended the Sunday ceremony at the southwest corner of Western Avenue and Charlie Sifford Drive, near the entrance to the Chester Washington Golf Course, Sifford’s longtime home course.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas (left) presents Charles Sifford Jr., with the honorary street sign.
“It’s important that we honor Mr. Sifford’s tremendous accomplishments so that all may be inspired by his courage and perseverance,” Ridley-Thomas said.
Ridley-Thomas joined Supervisor Don Knabe in authoring a motion in June to rename the portion of West 120th Street between Western and Van Ness avenues Charlie Sifford Drive.
Charles Sifford Jr. expresses his thanks while making remarks to the audience
The ceremony coincided with the conclusion of a tournament at the Chester Washington Golf Course conducted by the Advocates, a group of black male golfers that raises funds for organizations benefiting the black community.
Sifford became the first black on the PGA Tour in 1960 and the first black to be enshrined in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
(photo:Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas’s Twitter)
Read more at LA TIMES
