Maia Chaka has made history as the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game.
Chaka, a health and physical education teacher, spent time as a referee in the NCAA’s Pac-12 conference and Conference USA, as well as in the short-lived Alliance of American Football in 2019.
She entered the NFL’s Officiating Development Program in 2014, a program designed to offer top officiating prospects in the collegiate ranks “exposure to in-game experiences that NFL officials face, to determine if they have the ability to succeed,” according to the NFL.
“Hopefully, that just gives somebody else some inspiration and empowers them to step outside the box and do something different. This moment is bigger than a personal accomplishment,” she said. “It is an accomplishment for all women, my community, and my culture.” Chaka said
Congratulations to Maia Chaka for raising the bar for women in sports ?
