“That Was Our Crime”: Tiger Woods’ Father Earl Woods Recalled the Struggles of Growing Up in a Segregated World in an Interview in 2002

Tiger Woods’ father, the late Earl Woods, was a self-righteous man. In the many media interactions he had, Woods senior would often come across as a person rooted in his core values. In fact, some of his learnings stemmed from his early childhood and working days, when the world around us was much more segregated.

He once recalled some of his experiences from his hay days in an interview, which further showcased the reality of the world before we know it today.

The struggles of Tiger Woods’ father growing up

Born in 1932 in Manhattan, Earl Woods was a terrific sportsperson himself. However, it wasn’t golf. Growing up, the only golf course in his hometown refused black players to play. But his interest lay in baseball, where he quickly made a name for himself.

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Thanks to his skills, Earl Woods won a scholarship to Kansas State University. He was the only black member of the team, which meant Woods Sr. faced hardships during away game stays.

However, he graduated successfully from the University in 1953 with a sociology degree. He had two options ahead – work in civil service, or join the army. Woods chose the latter, with the reasoning, “that the army was integrated.”

But Woods’ sufferings were just getting started.

Earl Woods recalls army struggles

The father of the future golf great received his first posting in Columbus, Georgia. But despite being posted as an officer, there were discrepancies in society. “I was an officer and I had a company clerk who was a private and he was white and he lived in Georgia, like I did, just off base, and he’d salute me – yes, sir, no sir – all day long but when we went home he rode in the front part of the bus and I rode at the back,” he said.

There was another incident that surely left a tear on him. Earl Woods recalled the time when some of his friends were walking down a street, “window shopping” when suddenly the police came up and threw the black members against the wall.

They were also fined $32 and five cents, as Earl remembers, for mixing with whites. “That was our crime,” he sadly recalled.

His pains reflect on society back in the day. But Earl’s struggles were passed down as gifts for his children, as his son, Tiger Woods, made his family proud.

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