Ralph Stokes Shares Lessons Learned as a Pioneer for Integration in Sports and Business

Ralph Stokes with President Chuck Redden and Rotarian Joe Joseph

This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed Ralph Stokes, PGA Tour Superstore VP of Diversity, Partnerships & Community Relations and author of One of the First: Lessons I Learned While Overcoming the Challenges of Integration.

Stokes shared his experiences as an elite high school and collegiate football player during the time of integration. He described the difficult transition he and his teammates underwent when their high school was closed and they were divided between newly integrated schools. Stokes shared what it was like being recruited by a hundred universities across the country and ultimately making the difficult choice to become one of the first Black football players at the University of Alabama under legendary Coach Bear Bryant.

“He was extremely challenging, he was extremely hard,” Stokes said, “But if you understood that he was trying to make you the best you could be on and off the field every single day in everything you did…all of that is part of shaping you into being a successful human being.”

Stokes shared his goal of planting seeds that will bear fruit for those who come after him, opening doors that were once closed. He challenged Rotarians to create opportunities to help others succeed wherever possible.

“At the core of success is having goals, having missions that we can all point to that get beyond us, that are bigger than us, having principles that you live by, having a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of the people on your team, in your company, in your family, around you,” Stokes said. “You can make a positive difference and you can help.”

About Ralph Stokes
Ralph Stokes was a key player on the southern football scene during the time of integration. After becoming one of the first five Black football players at the University of Alabama, Ralph was a pioneer for integration in the business arena and later on, in the world of golf. He is currently the Vice President of Diversity, Partnerships & Community Relations for PGA TOUR Superstore and President-Elect of the Georgia State Golf Association. He is the author of One of the First: Lessons I Learned While Overcoming the Challenges of Integration with Chris McKinney, and Foreword by Sylvester Croom, the first African American Head Football Coach in the SEC. Stokes is very passionate about partnering with and supporting different charities across the United States. Ralph lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Debra. They have two daughters and two granddaughters.