The Arthur Johnson Project. Let’s save his home!
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Join the Fight to Save Arthur Johnson’s Home
Jacksonville civil rights figure and golf pioneer, Arthur Johnson, needs our help. Join the fight to help Mr. Johnson keep his home from defaulting. The Black Golf Hall of Fame inductee has spent his lifetime making our community a better place for all of us to live in. Let’s help him save his Riverside home.
GOLF HISTORY
Arthur Johnson ,80, is a walking legend. He is an accomplished golfer who attended the PGA TOUR qualifier school in the 70s and played on the UGA Tour (United Golfers Association) in the 70s and 80s. He won and placed several times on the USGA & UGA circuit and earned contracts with Wilson Sporting Goods, Northwestern Golf, and FootJoy.
HOW IT STARTED
At the age of 12, Johnson was a caddie at Hyde Park Golf Course in Jacksonville, Florida, which was 1 of 2 golf courses that allowed people of color to play at the time. This is where he befriended his soon-to-be mentor Frank Hampton, who was a part of the “Brentwood 4” and protester beside Dr. Martin Luther King. The Brentwood 4 was a group of golfers (Frank Hampton, Edward Norman, Davoye Brown, and Charles Brown) playing in a qualifier round for the National Amateur Tournament for African Americans. Due to weather, they tried to continue their round at Hyde Park the next day but were told they weren’t allowed to because it wasn’t their (Blacks) day to play. Frank Hampton filed a lawsuit against Hyde Park to desegregated recreational facility in Jax. Arthur actually participated in Ax Handle Saturday. (Arthur actually was injured and received a blow to the head). The golfers ultimately caused the desegregation in Jacksonville by 1962.
GOLF PATRIOTISM
Arthur was a part of one of the biggest milestones in golf, the integration of the first African American to play at Augusta International, Lee Elder. To signify this historic event, Arthur assisted Lee Elder as he was named an honorary starter for the 2021 annual ceremony. “A date with the Masters 1975-2021” is the slogan Arthur came up with to signify Elder’s first and last appearance before his death. Johnson held Elder in high-regard and said if there was one thing that he taught him all of those years it was to always fight to make a difference. That is what Arthur has done.
PAYING IT FORWARD
Arthur Johnson’s MO was to make this place better for everyone. He served as the Director of the First Tee of North Florida, at Brentwood Golf Course, a nonprofit organization meant to teach kids middle school and high school kids about golf and how to apply those skills to life.
SITUATION
In 1986 Mr. Johnson became a homeowner. He eventually ran into financial difficulties and health issues like prostate cancer and sciatica that slowed him down and sidelined him from the role of Director of the First Tee of North Florida. He took out a reverse mortgage and ended up owing more than $150,000 on the home. He then defaulted on his reverse mortgage.
Join us in the fight to save his home ! 100% of funds will go directly to Mr. Arthur and his housing.
For more info about Mr. Johnson checkout the Facebook page:
Save Arthur Johnson's House Project or https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556645732465
Also checkout these news articles:
First Coast
https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/jacksonville-area-legal-aid-attempting-to-preserve-local-civil-rights-and-golf-pioneer-arthur-leroy-johnsons-home/77-67967445-a850-427e-b1b3-863d34ea412d
Florida Bar
Arthur Johnson Interview with Mr. Wyche:
Organizer
Erin Grier
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL