Here’s a tip of the visor to Lee Elder, the golfer who died November 28 at age 87. He was not a superstar, but he was a solid pro and a class act.

Elder will forever be known as the first black man to play in the Masters Tournament. But I don’t want to stop there. It would be a shame if, as a result of the racism that dogged this country last century, Elder and others like him were identifiable less by their achievements than by mere reference to their skin color.