Heroines of African American Golf
The Past, the Present, and the Future
by
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No one seems to remember the names of the women golfers who were the Queens of African American golf. In 2030, it will be 100 years since Marie Thompson Jones won the first and her initial United Golfers Association Women's Open Championship; it will be 74 years since Ann Gregory stood on the first tee of an U.S.G.A. Women's Open Championship; it will be 67 years since Althea Gibson declared as a professional to play on the LPGA Tour; it will be 66 years since the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed and it will be 58 years since the enactment of the Equal Opportunities in Education Act . Now in 2010, we are at a junction in the revolution where all of the Acts and achievements are to merge into a celebratory event. The revolution has begun with the portals wide open and African American females are passing through. They are passing through the gates as juniors, collegians and women who have relinquished their careers, to take advantage of the opportunities to compete in professional golf tournaments, for a title and a trophy.
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About the Book
Heroines of African American Golf, a fully-illustrated companion volume to The African American Golfer: Her Legacy, serves as a compendium of in-depth biographies of women, collegians, and junior golfers who have defied the odds in playing in the sport of golf. Ten of the golfers’ biographies included are actually written by the athletes themselves, covering their personal experiences in the sport. Fascinating photographs also illustrate many of the golfers’ stories. A heroine is a daring person, good, adventurous, famous, ideal, legendary, victorious, and courageous—a role model and a goddess. The African American woman golfer personifies all of these traits and more. She is the woman of no equal in the days of modern sports. Black women today are stronger, healthier, more educated, well traveled, and living longer than ever before. Their organizations bring the sport of golf to their communities, encouraging women to become more active in the sport at all levels. This collection of biographies tells their stories, describing the adventures of heroines from the past, the present and the future.
About the Author
M. Mikell Johnson, Ph.D., has been a scientist at several research institutes and pharmaceutical companies. Since her retirement, she has devoted her time to golf, especially the pursuit of the history of African American women in the sport. Her move to the Carolinas has brought her to a mecca of golf courses.