Charlie Takes His Shot

Most children know the story of how Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. That made me wonder about other firsts in other sports. When I found out that Charlie Sifford was the first African American golfer on the PGA tour, I knew I wanted to know more. Then I found out what a great guy he was and how Jackie Robinson inspired him and I knew I had to share his story.

Charlie Sifford is a great example of perseverance. There was no reason to think that he was going to break through a sport that was as segregated as golf. But he wouldn't give up. And he found people who supported his dream, including his wife, Rose, his friend, Jackie Robinson, and a lawyer that he met named Stanley Mosk, who took up his cause. The other wonderful thing about Charlie is that he didn't do this just for himself. By the time he made his breakthrough, he was an older player, past his prime years. But he knew he was doing this not just for himself but for the players that would follow so that every kid, everywhere, would find this sport open to all.

I hope that this book will encourage kids everywhere to be inclusive. All Charlie wanted was a chance to play. That's why I created a project to go along with the book called We Helped Them Take Their Shots. I hope kids, through their parents and teachers, will share stories of how they gave someone a chance, reached out a hand in friendship, included someone who had been left out.

Follow your dreams. Don't be deterred. Don't listen to the jeers or the laughter. Keep working hard and you will get to where you want to go. And when you get to where you want to go, don't forget to open the door for others. This is not only a story about Charlie, but about how Jackie Robinson, who had achieved his dream, never stopped trying to help others achieve theirs.

I was so honored to be invited to read this book at the Ruby Bridges Reading Festival at the National Civil Rights Museum in Nashville, Tennessee where I got to meet the incredible Ruby Bridges herself. She is such an inspiration and an incredible example of someone who would not be deterred from achieving her dream -- going to a school where African American children had not previously been allowed -- and then going on to spend the rest of her life helping others achieve their dreams through promoting literacy and being inclusive and kind.