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Greensboro Six
Travel + Leisure
History on Display
In 1955, 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 then 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 would help lead to the desegregation of Gillespie and the game of golf as we know it.
Art Advocacy
To commemorate the legacy of the Greensboro Six, Travel + Leisure and Wyndham Rewards commissioned a mural designed to lift up the story, while celebrating the vital role Gillespie plays in the community today through their work with First Tee – Central Carolina.
Created by award-winning, Brooklyn-based artist Vincent Ballentine, the art piece serves as inspiration to a new generation of golfers—reminding them as they walk in the footsteps of those before them—that anything is possible.
The Gillespie mural honors courageous men who overcame deep-rooted racial challenges to inspire incredible change.
Teeing Off
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.
Vincent’s design captures our vision of bringing the community together through golf. It is a reminder of our storied past—and because of that—our beautiful future.
Melding Art and Film
The story of The Greensboro Six and the creation of the mural is the subject of this short-form documentary. The goal of the film is to lift the story beyond Greensboro and share it with the world.
The mural was formally unveiled during a special celebration at Gillespie on August 5, 2024 ahead of the PGA TOUR’s 85th Annual Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Branded Content FTW
Our collaboration with Travel & Leisure to tell the story of The Greensboro Six won a Bronze Telly for Advocacy & Causes Branded Content. The category recognizes "Branded content produced to advocate for social issues and improve civil and social life."
The Telly Awards honors excellence in video and television across all screens and is judged by leaders from video platforms, television, streaming networks, production companies.
Behind the Tee
Director Eternal Polk is known for a history of telling stories with deep meaning and 'placing the subjects on a pedestal to displace their humanity'. His approach to The Greensboro Six film was no different.
Want to see what was going through the director's mind while developing and filming the story of The Greensboro Six?
Check out our Behind the Scenes featurette "The Art of Branded Content".
I make films that address injustice and address marginalization and address issues that people have been dealing with for decades.
Legacy of Resistance
The Greensboro Six case set a legal precedent that paved the way for landmark victories like Brown v. Board of Education and inspired future protests, including the Greensboro Four’s historic Woolworth sit-ins, ensuring their legacy of resistance and justice continues to shape history.
The Greensboro Six (left-to-right)
Philip Cook
Samuel Murray
Elijah Herring
Joseph Strudivant
Dr. George C. Simkins Jr.
Leon Wolf
Leading the future
Dr. Simkins, “Greensboro’s Martin Luther King,” would go on to head the local NAACP, relentlessly challenging policies that allowed public and private institutions to exclude Black citizens while taking their tax dollars.
His work led to the integration of hospitals, transportation, and federally funded public spaces.
Archival Material Courtesy of
The Simkins Family
Greensboro History Museum
High Point University Archives
Greensboro Daily News
Jack Moebes Archives
UCLA / LA Times Photo Collection
Tim Hipps U.s> Army, CC BY 2.0
Additional Crew
Additional Camera - Brett Mullen, Micah Brown
Assistant Camera - Ismail Abdelkhalek, Tony Cope, Marco Guerra
Drone - Brett Mullen
Camera Operator - Cody Pyper
Audio Techs - Jeremy Childers, Tarylor Parris
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Vincent Ballentine
Andrew Trenier
Ryan Wilson
Mark Brazil
Richard Watkins
Marjorie Bryant
Danita Mason-Hogans
Jocquelyn Boone
Chris Simkins
Charles Sifford Jr.
Credits
Produced By
Myriad
In Partnership with
Travel & Leisure, Wyndham Rewards, First Tee - Central Carolina
Executive Producers
Chris Young + Will Feichter
Producers
Casey Boone + Rachel Dennis Bolaños
Director
Eternal Polk
Editor
Rachel Dennis Bolaños
Director of Photography
Max Zampieri
Colorist
Emily Mormann
Sound Mixer
Daniel Cook
