New mural to honor 'Greensboro Six' who integrated local golf course

A Greensboro golf course is getting a new mural that will honor six civil rights pioneers who worked to integrate the facility nearly 70 years ago.

In 1955, six Black men started a local movement by choosing to play 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 later after several court cases, their actions led to the desegregation of the golf course.

Vincent Ballentine will make the mural honoring their legacy. He says he hopes it will inspire conversations between generations about the past.

"Instead of it being on a phone or you're googling information you're again hearing it straight from a source that was alive during that time or is aware of all the little nuances of what separation meant," Ballentine says. "At the end of the day it seems so simple, these brothers just wanted to go enjoy the game that they love and weren't able to do so because of segregation."

He says this could inspire people to consider highlighting other overlooked stories.

The final work will be formally unveiled during a special celebration at Gillespie Golf Course on August 5.