Sandra Douglass Morgan didn’t have to travel far to make history for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Raiders on Thursday announced they had appointed Morgan, a Las Vegas native, as their team president, making her the first Black woman to ever have the title.
Prior to changing the game in the NFL, Morgan was making history in her previous walks of life. She was the first person of color to chair the Nevada Gaming Control Board, as well as the first Black city attorney in Nevada, according to the Raiders’ press release.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to join the Raiders at one of the most defining times in the team’s history,” Morgan said in a statement. “This team’s arrival in Las Vegas has created a new energy and opportunities we never dreamed possible. I look forward to taking this team’s integrity, spirit and commitment to excellence on the field into every facet of this organization.”
Morgan’s excitement to take on the role was evident, but she’s not the first executive to break barriers. As pressure has intensified in front offices across the major pro sports leagues to diversify, several teams added their own “firsts” to the senior suite.
Mike Grier was appointed general manager of the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday as the first Black person to ever hold the position in the NHL.
His brother, Chris Grier, also made his mark when he became the Miami Dolphins GM back in 2016, following in the footsteps of his father, Bobby Grier, who was an NFL executive in the 1990s.
The Griers are believed to be the first set of brothers that are the general managers of teams in two different sports.
Still, progress in bringing diversity to front offices has been slow since Wayne Embry was promoted to GM of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972. The NBA currently has a number of Black team presidents and general managers, including Elton Brand of the Philadelphia 76ers and James Jones of the Phoenix Suns. The Miami Marlins appointed Major League Baseball’s first female GM through the hiring of Kim Ng in November 2020, but she remains the only woman and one of the few people of color serving in a front-office capacity.
Morgan’s hiring is a step in the right direction for diversifying front offices, demonstrating the latest push has the potential to help spark further change.
