Diversity Expert Talks About Getting More Blacks Working In Golf

Pro golfer might be the only career that comes to mind when most people think of the PGA. But as a member organization, the PGA of America is responsible for recruiting, training, educating, and deploying all 29,000 people who have chosen careers in the business of golf.

The PGA is working hard to make sure that workforce mirrors America in terms of diversity. That’s why it has partnered with Black Enterprise for the video podcast series On The Tee, to “grow the game and drive greater inclusion across golf” by showcasing “the successes of people from diverse backgrounds working and playing in the industry.”

In the second episode, PGA’s Chief People Officer Sandy Cross sits down with diversity expert Porter Braswell. Braswell is the co-founder and CEO of Jopwell, the leading career advancement platform for black, Latinx, and Native American students and professionals. Jopwell is a strategic partner of the PGA, helping the organization achieve its aim of diversifying the workforce in the golf industry.

“We are so excited about this partnership, specifically because when we set out on this mission to build Jopwell, the goal was to expose our community to the breadth of opportunities that are available,” Braswell says. “And when I think about the PGA and the game of golf, historically, there have been challenges that have prevented certain communities from having access.”

Braswell and Cross discuss some of the many different ways Jopwell and the PGA are approaching their goal holistically and authentically. Representation is a large part of diversity and inclusion. So their first initiative was the Jopwell PGA Collection, a gallery of images which lets diverse audiences literally see themselves within the game of golf.

The aim is to get more blacks working in golf by “allowing the community to understand that they are welcomed,” says Braswell, “and that there are ample opportunities for them within the golf industry.”