A History of Public Golf in the Nation's Capital

The most famous stages of civil rights activism include schools, churches, and public transportation – but golf courses?

In Washington, DC, golf was one of the many fronts where African Americans fought for equal access to public facilities in the early years of the Civil Rights Movement. From community building to lobbying to direct action in 1941, their activism influenced integration in the nation's capital city and parks.

The National Park Service created a Golf and Civil Rights in Washington, DC ArcGIS StoryMap on the subject.  Research for this story is drawn from "Links to the Past: A Historic Resource Study of National Park Service Golf Courses in the District of Columbia" by Patricia Kuhn Babin (2017).