National black bowling tournament rolls into Sunrise

[Theo McNair]

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
National black bowling tournament rolls into Sunrise
70-year-old association makes its second visit to South Florida
By Gregory Lewis

South Florida Sun Sentinel

5:30 PM EDT, May 28, 2009

SUNRISE

Black bowlers in Broward County never faced the rejection blacks experienced in Northern cities like Detroit and Cleveland.

"We had our own bowling alley on [Northwest] Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street," said Gwen Hankerson, a Fort Lauderdale community activist.

The bowling alley was there until the 1960s, when the city of Fort Lauderdale demolished black businesses along Fifth Avenue in the Sistrunk neighborhood to make way for housing. By then integration was arriving, opening up all kinds of public accommodations.

This week 8,000 black bowlers, members of The National Bowling Association, are convening here at Strikers Family Sports Center, using alleys that have been integrated since it opened in 1979. They are holding roll-offs to determine this year's national champions in three categories: male, female and senior.

Eugene Finley, president of the Miami-Tri-County Bowlers, and Albert Tucker, vice president of the Fort Lauderdale tourism office, persuaded the 70-year-old TNBA to convene in South Florida for the second time. The first was in 2003.

Finley said his 220-member group bowls in Broward County and is open to participants from Key West to the Palm Beaches. None are in the championships, but they're glad to come out to watch the best compete.

Tucker said having the black bowlers here "is good for the community, good for the economy and tourism.

"It's good for people to see the economic impact black people make," he said. "Black folks put money in Broward County. Over 10 days, they will spend $7 or $8 million in travel, hotels, food, rental cars, floral arrangements and tuxedos."

Once there was an obvious need for a black bowlers group. Even outside the legally segregated South, blacks were restricted from joining leagues with "white only" bylaw covenants. Midwestern blacks formed the National Negro Bowling Association in Detroit in 1939; five years later it became The National Bowling Association.

"We had to go in the back door, and they would close the bowling alley," said Danny Mack, TNBA publicist. "They let [blacks] rent the place for a couple of hours."

The white associations eased their restrictions in the 1950s. Today black bowlers, like Ohio's Fero Williams, play in both U.S. Bowling Association and TNBA tournaments.

Williams, 28, bowled a record 22 perfect games in the 2006-2007 season. He broke his own record in 2007-2008, with 25 perfect games.

"TNBA is a showcase for good black bowlers who don't have the resources to compete in the USBA," Williams said. "With our own organization, you get to see black bowlers you'd never see on TV."

Williams was competing in the Bill Rhodman Roll-Off National Championships today. The late Rhodman was a Detroit bowler recognized by TNBA as one of its greats . There's no doubt in Gloria McKenney's mind about Rhodman's skills. "He taught me how to bowl when I was a teenager," she said.

But it's not just the bowling competition that draws folks to the annual convention and roll-offs.

Rob McDaniel, a retired military man from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., took up bowling last year.

"To me the fellowship is most important," he said as he watched the Rhodman roll-off.

"Black folks are family-oriented by nature," he said. "You throw bowling in there, a family sport, and you've really got something--camaraderie."


Gregory Lewis can be reached at [e-mail] or 954-385-7930.

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