WS Chronicle

The International Civil Rights Center & Museum will host its Ninth Annual George C. Simkins Jr. Memorial Golf Classic on Saturday, June 15 from 7 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the Bryan Park Golf Course in Browns Summit.

The Museum’s Golf Committee, which includes Cedric Blue, J. Howard McMasters, Tyrone Moore, Mac Sims and Stahle Vincent, will host a pairings party for the tournament on Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. at Center Pointe, 201 N. Elm St. in Greensboro.

This year’s honorary co-chairs are Pro Golfer Jim Thorpe and Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins. Former NFL player Keith Williams will compete, along with other business owners, community advocates and local citizens.

The Museum renamed the tournament in 2011 after a local dentist, the late Dr. George C. Simkins Jr. As an activist, he is remembered as one of the litigants known as the “Greensboro Six,” who took a stand against the segregated Gillespie Park Golf Course during the battle for civil rights during the 1950s. All proceeds from the tournament will support daily operations and programming for the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. “Our goal for the tournament is not only to honor the civil and human rights achievements of Dr. George C. Simkins Jr. but to provide a unique social experience with individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds,” said Melvin “Skip” Alston, chairman and co-founder of the Museum.

The deadline for interested players and sponsors is Monday, June 10. Contact Special Events Coordinator Pamela Glass by telephone at 336-274-9199, ext. 235 or via email at pglass@sitinmovement.org for more information.