By Emilie St. John
Contributing Writer
LOS ANGELES — After celebrating the reopening of a Los Angeles County golf course named for a pioneering Black female golfer, allegations have surfaced that the county is discriminating against Black golfers.
The county celebrated the reopening of the Maggie Hathaway Golf Course in March, following a multi-million-dollar facelift spearheaded by former state Sen. Steve Bradford and county Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
It is now being alleged that Black golfers face discrimination in the hiring process and promotion of people in management positions within the county’s golf division.
Angelique Johnson, founder and CEO of Angelique on the Links, joined with other African-American golfers and Los Angeles Urban Policy Roundtable President Earl Ofari Hutchinson recently who say African Americans remain largely absent from top management positions in the L.A. County Golf Division, despite repeated public commitments by county leaders to diversity and inclusion.
“Los Angeles County supervisors pay lots of lip service to diversity and inclusion, but they have failed miserably when it comes to hiring, promoting and recruiting African Americans into management posts in the L.A. County Golf Division,” Johnson and Hutchinson said in a joint statement.
According to Johnson, this is an ongoing issue.
“It’s important for me to come forward now as I have made attempts to discuss with the county for nearly two decades, to no avail,” Johnson said.
County officials did not respond to requests for comments.
Johnson believes there is confusion between the entities that own the golf courses and those who lease them.
In 2020, the county entered into a 10-year lease with American Golf of Glendale for the management, operation and maintenance of the Chester Washington and Maggie Hathaway golf courses in South Los Angeles.
“There are only five people being hired who work for American Golf, then work for the county, and then leave and return to American Golf, which does not allow anyone else to legitimately be hired for a position,” Johnson said.
A county staff report that accompanied the approval of the lease said, “the Washington/Hathaway courses have a long history of serving as an inclusive golf course, growing the game of golf, specifically in underserved communities. The recommended lease agreement includes requirements for community outreach and educational programming that promote character development and life-enhancing values through golf.”
The staff report included a minority verification sheet, which asked if companies responding to the request for proposal were certified as either a minority-owned or woman-owned business.
“One proposer stated that it is certified as a disadvantaged business enterprise, but didn’t provide proof of certification,” the county staff report said.
The minority verification sheet also asked if the contract awards were going to certified local small business enterprises or certified minority, women, disadvantaged or disabled veteran businesses.
“No contract is going to a certified minority, women, disadvantaged or disabled veteran owned business or a certified local small business enterprise,” the staff report added.
Johnson points to those omissions as signs of discrimination which she and Hutchinson find “especially glaring and insulting” due to the golf courses being named for notable Black members of the community.
Chester Washington was the former publisher of The Wave Newspaper and Hathaway is a respected figure in Black golf history.
Hathaway created the Minority Association for Golfers, whose mission was to dismantle barriers, advocate for equality and foster a supportive network.. She continued to pursue inclusion of professional Black golfers participation in the Pro Golf Association tour and holding golf jobs throughout her career.
Hathaway served as the president of the NAACP Beverly Hills/Hollywood chapter and in 1994 she was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame.
In 1997, the county renamed the Jack Thompson Golf Course to honor her.
“Ms. Hathaway, as I’ve stated, was one of the early Jedi warriors and I’m not talking about Star Wars, I’m talking about justice, equity, diversity and inclusion,” Bradford said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the renovations in 2024. “You won’t have to be into your late years to know what her legacy is because it will be promoted and amplified every time you come on this golf course.
Data shows that only 3% of recreational golfers are minorities which includes roughly 7 million Blacks, Asian and Latinos across the nation.
Johnson and Hutchinson are demanding a “full audit of management hiring and promotion practices within the county golf division”.
Johnson has been involved in golf most of her adult life. She founded Angelique on the Links to create a platform to connect golfers and foster inclusion across Southern California. Through strategic partnerships, corporate sponsorships and high-profile events, she helped raise more than $500,000 for youth development programs.
She began her career working as a starter at Chester Washington Golf Course in 1990. She worked her way up to head golf professional at the course, a title she held from 2012 to 2018.
She said she was blackballed from the golfing industry after suing American Golfer for racial discrimination and harassment in 2018.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist covering the areas of Carson, Compton, Inglewood and Willowbrook. Send tips to her at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
