The first Black woman golf club president is a descendant of an Underground Railroad conductor.
Detroit Golf Club’s first Black woman president hails from a legacy of trailblazing leaders.
Introducing Michele Samuels, the first Black woman to earn the title of “Madame President” at the esteemed Detroit Golf Club.
Samuels, who carries the legacy of an escaped slave who played a key role in the 1851 Christiana Riot and served as an Underground Railroad conductor, feels deeply “humbled” by the impact her pioneering role has on both the golf club and the broader community.
Reflecting on her experience, Samuels shared with the Detroit Free Press at DGC’s 2025 Rocket Classic, “I attended a session recently hosted by Rocket about the history of Black golf in Detroit, and it really gave me a powerful perspective on how Black individuals in Detroit were historically denied access to membership in clubs.”
Samuels’ groundbreaking role at the prestigious golf club comes after her retirement in January as senior VP, general auditor, and compliance officer at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, where she dedicated 35 years of service. She attributes much of her professional success to the leadership and determination she believes she inherited from her great-great-grandfather, William Parker, an escaped enslaved person and pivotal figure in the Christiana Riot of 1851.
Parker and his wife, Eliza, were known for sheltering escaped enslaved people and played a significant role in resisting slave catchers during the Christiana Riot, an event that resulted in the death of a slave owner. He later documented the experience in an 1866 essay for The Atlantic titled “The Freedman’s Story.”
After fleeing to Canada via New York, he settled with his family in Buxton, Ontario, just 50 miles east of Detroit, where he worked as a conductor and station master on the Underground Railroad. This powerful legacy has inspired his great-great-granddaughter throughout her career journey.
“When I learned about it, I drew a lot of inspiration from it,” Samuels shared. “It helped me understand who I am and why I’m always fighting for something and leading.”
More than a decade after joining the Detroit Golf Club in 2012, Samuels has made history as the club’s first Black woman president since its founding in 1899. A passionate golfer and motorcycle enthusiast, she sees it as a profound honor to lead in a space her ancestors once had to fight to enter.
“I love the environment and the diversity of the club,” she said. “It’s truly unique. I’ve always supported Detroit, and being part of a golf club located in the heart of the city is a true honor.”
