So, after a ground stop in New York’s JFK airport caused Delta to reroute me through Minneapolis, I arrived in Boston, MA just 3-hours behind schedule on June 16 to attend and participate in the Tee Up for Diversity gala. Delta Airlines did all they could in managing the weather issues; I tip my Charlie Sifford embroidered golf cap to them.
The Tee Up Diversity combined the opportunity to access world-class golf at the 122nd U.S. Open Championship with an exciting inaugural event and an after-party at Contessa featuring seven-time NAACP Image Awards Winner Anthony Anderson, award-winning producer Chris Spencer, and from NBC Sports Damon Hack. This event was held at The Newbury Boston, hosted by The Reaching Back Foundation with support from The Country Club at Brookline.
This special event celebrated the significant, historical achievements of minorities in the game of golf while raising funds for programs that work to diversify the business and game of golf and recognize the history of the United Golfers Association (UGA, also known as the Chitlin’ Circuit and the Negro Golf Tour) and The Country Club’s establishment of the Lee Elder Internship Program that is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the business of golf.
The event raised funds to help organizations dedicated to addressing educational and professional development inequities still evident today with an emphasis on programs relating to the business and game of golf.
I was privileged to meet with the 25 Lee Elder Interns and the four legendary honorees, Jim Dent, Renee Powell, Jim Thorpe and Ed Lamour. This gets better, as I was an award presenter at this event last night. Wow. Meeting with, talking to, and learning from these legends was a highlight I will not forget. I felt like I was literally walking thru the pages of history from Pete McDaniel’s great book, Uneven Lies, or through Ramona Harriet’s Epochs of Courage exhibit. I wish each of you could have joined the 350 people in attendance.
Business, political, civic and social leaders from the Boston area came together to celebrate Diversity in golf. This was a historic day and one that I hope will be repeated, and repeated, throughout the golf industry for years to come.
