Wyndham Rewards Unveils Mural Honoring The Greensboro Six at Gillespie Golf Course
Rhea-AI Summary
Wyndham Rewards has unveiled a mural at Gillespie Golf Course in Greensboro, N.C., honoring The Greensboro Six, civil rights pioneers who helped desegregate golf. Created by artist Vincent Ballentine, the mural celebrates the six men's role in changing professional golf and highlights First Tee - Central Carolina, which now calls Gillespie home. The unveiling kicks off a week of activities supporting the PGA TOUR's 85th annual Wyndham Championship.
Additionally, Wyndham Rewards announced plans for a short-form documentary about The Greensboro Six and the mural's creation, directed by Emmy-nominated Eternal Polk. The film will feature interviews with surviving family members and community leaders, with a trailer available on First Tee Central Carolina's website.
Positive
- Wyndham Rewards is supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives in golf
- The company is investing in community engagement through art and documentary projects
- Wyndham is leveraging its PGA TOUR sponsorship for social impact
Negative
- None.
News Market Reaction
On the day this news was published, WH gained 0.62%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Unveiled during annual First Tee – Central Carolina youth clinic, event kicks off a week of activities supporting the PGA TOUR's 85th annual Wyndham Championship
"Just over a year ago, we stood in this exact spot and shared the story of The Greensboro Six, six civil rights pioneers who not only made history here at Gillespie but in turn, helped change the game of professional golf. This mural is our way of memorializing these heroes and sharing their story with a new generation of golfers—all of whom walk in their footsteps."
- Ryan Wilson, CEO, First Tee – Central Carolina
"Gillespie is a special place—one that has transformed over the decades to play a special role in this community. Now, as future generations of golfers come here and learn the game, it's my hope that this piece can serve as a reminder, sparking meaningful conversation about The Greensboro Six and how their courageous story ultimately helped to uplift this community and empower others across these great 50 states."
- Vincent Ballentine, Artist
Sharing the Story
Following today's mural unveiling, Wyndham Rewards, in collaboration with First Tee - Central Carolina, announced plans for a short-form documentary detailing the story of The Greensboro Six and the creation of the mural. Under direction from two-time Emmy nominated director and writer, Eternal Polk—best known for his award-winning film, Gaining Ground: The Fight for Black Land—the film takes viewers behind-the-scenes with never-before-shared insights and interviews with surviving family members, local leaders and key community figures, among others. Slated to debut at a later date, a trailer for the film is now available at FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org/Mural-Project.
"It is an honor to help bring to life the story of The Greensboro Six and their triumph over racism and discrimination. They are an example of the power of doing good and it's my hope their story inspires others to continue the fight for equality."
- Eternal Polk, Director
The Legacy of The Greensboro Six
In 1955, less than one week after Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, six Black men led by Dr. George Simkins started a local movement of their own by defiantly playing a round at the whites-only Gillespie Golf Course. They were later arrested, convicted of trespassing and spent 15 days in jail. Seven years and numerous court cases later, their actions along with others led to Gillespie desegregating and later, seeing The Greater Greensboro Open (now the Wyndham Championship) become the first PGA TOUR event in the South to welcome a Black player (Charlie Sifford).
Today, Gillespie is home to First Tee - Central Carolina, a national youth development program using the game of golf to create life-changing opportunities for local youth on and off the course. It also has the distinction of being the first course in North Carolina to offer PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere), a national program leveraging golf to enhance the wellbeing of active-duty military and veterans and is one of the only courses in the Triad catering to players with spinal injuries and disabilities through adaptive equipment and free programs.
To learn more about the Greensboro Six Mural Project at Gillespie Golf Course, visit FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org/Mural-Project.
Images associated with the above release can be downloaded here.
About The
Built around the core values of respect, inclusiveness, safety, innovation and sustainability, the mission of the
About First Tee - Central Carolina
First Tee - Central Carolina is a youth development organization that enables kids to build the strength of character that empowers them through a lifetime of new challenges. Using golf and life skills as our tools, we provide kids opportunities on and off the course they may never have otherwise. We are active throughout the Triad region, and specifically focused on serving the East Greensboro and East Winston-Salem communities. Learn more at FirstTeeCentralCarolina.org.
About The Wyndham Championship
Contested annually on the Donald Ross-designed course at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, N.C., the Wyndham Championship was founded in 1938 and is the seventh-oldest event on the PGA TOUR, excluding the Majors. The tournament thanks title sponsor Wyndham Rewards and presenting sponsor Truist for their continued support. Additional tournament information is available at WyndhamChampionship.com and the tournament's social media channels (@WyndhamChamp) on Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn pages.
About Wyndham Rewards
Proud title sponsor of the Wyndham Championship, Wyndham Rewards® is the blue thread tying together some of the world's largest and most well-known travel companies and brands: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world's largest hotel franchising company and Club Wyndham®, the flagship vacation ownership brand of Travel + Leisure Co. Recognized as the #1 hotel rewards program by both
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SOURCE Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
FAQ
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