Golf Channel Expands NBC Sports Group’s “Race and Sports in America” Franchise
ORLANDO, Fla., – Following last week’s roundtable discussion special, GOLF Channel today announced the expansion of NBC Sports Group’s Race and Sports in America franchise. Earlier today, GOLF Channel’s Morning Drive kicked off Race and Sports in America: Moving Golf Forward, welcoming philanthropist and LPGA/PGA professional instructor Renee Powell, to honor her more than 50 years of dedication to making golf a more welcoming and diverse sport.
The dedicated segment will take place bimonthly on Tuesdays, featuring prominent African Americans with a connection to golf. Interviews will be conducted by NBC Sports’ Damon Hack (Morning Drive co-host) and focus on efforts to make golf more accessible, the guest’s own experiences in the sport, and other aspects of their life.
“I’m looking forward to this platform as a way to share a variety of unique perspectives as we look to continue the dialogue on the intersection of race and sports,” said Hack. “It is my hope that these conversations inspire viewers to not only think about diversity in the golf space, but also look for ways to help make meaningful change.”
SECOND “RACE AND SPORTS” ROUNDTABLE SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER: GOLF Channel additionally announced plans for a second roundtable discussion that is scheduled to premiere in September. The special will be preceded by an encore airing of the network’s Uneven Fairways, a GOLF Films project that initially premiered in 2009. Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson narrates the film, which chronicles the often overlooked, but rich history of several African-Americans whom had the courage to pave the way for future generations of minority golfers. Uneven Fairways honors those who confronted prejudice and endured indignities for the right to compete at the sport’s highest levels.
Race and Sports in America: Moving Golf Forward follows NBC Sports’ initial roundtable discussion (Race & Sports in America: Conversations) that premiered July 13 in primetime across GOLF Channel, NBC Sports Network (NBCSN), NBC Sports Regional Networks and the Olympic Channel (Home of Team USA), with an encore airing on NBC this past Saturday. Hosted by Hack, the roundtable special saw celebrity athletes – including two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry along with TNT/NBA analyst Charles Barkley – discussing wide-ranging topics including social injustice, locker room conversations about race, and ways that sports can help combat inequality.
