Stephen Curry to Fund Howard’s Golf Program

Golf has long been difficult to access by communities of color. The barriers have ranged from hard line racist practices at member clubs to more systemic issues involving the locations of courses or even the cost of equipment.

Howard University, one of the most prestigious historically black colleges in the United States, is trying to grow opportunities for black players, announcing on Monday the school’s first Division I men’s and women’s golf program. The N.B.A. star Stephen Curry, a golf aficionado, has committed to help fund the program for at least six years, starting with the 2020-21 season.

“Today is obviously a historic opportunity for not just Howard but I think all historically black colleges and universities,” said Dr. Wayne A.I. Frederick, the president of Howard University, at a news conference at the Langston Golf Course in Washington, D.C. The course was named for John Mercer Langston, who in 1890 became the first African-American elected to Congress and who was also the first dean of Howard’s law school.

“This is an avenue for students who otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to attend Howard University to use the game of golf to participate in that,” Frederick said.