In celebration of Black History Month, Chad Duffaut aimed to not only educate students on the discrimination against African-Americans in golf today but also recognize the strength and resilience of those pushing to be included in the sport.

Duffaut presented “Obstruction: African American Golfers and Southern Resistance in the Twilight of Jim Crow” on Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. in the Student Union Theatre.

Dr. William Robison, department head of history and political science, discussed why the lecture was important for all students to attend.

“All history belongs to everyone, and what happens to any particular group of people – for example, African-Americans – almost always affects others in some way,” said Robison.

The lecture derived from a paper that was prompted by the exclusivity of golf courses.

Duffaut shared, “A friend of mine who I play golf with on special occasions brought up an issue he found within the recreational aspects of the sport, that being the barring of races and religious affiliates from certain golf courses across the United States, but particularly in the South. This subject was very disheartening but also interesting, and I wanted to understand more concerning the topic in its entirety.”

In the talk, Duffaut addressed integration in a sport, which Robison likened to Jackie Robinson in baseball. Duffaut connected the past and the presence of golf.

“It breaks some of the misconceptions of golf and how inclusion in the sport is still a topic of discussion to this day,” stated Duffaut.