History was made on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, as the Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders faced off in the first NFL game featuring women-led teams. As AFROTECH™ previously reported, The Raiders are led by Sandra Douglass Morgan, the first Black and Asian woman to serve as an NFL team president, taking over from Dan Ventrelle. The Panthers are led by Kristi Coleman, who replaced Tom Glick as president. The Panthers defeated the Raiders 36-22 on Sunday. Photo Credit: Louis Grasse Coleman was named president in February 2022, followed by Morgan in July of that year. According to the Raiders, the two women have formed a strong professional relationship over the past two seasons, with Morgan even joining Coleman for the Panthers’ International Women’s Day celebration in 2023. “You do feel a little bit more comfortable when you have someone else you can call,” Coleman shared, per the Panthers. “While Charlotte and Vegas are obviously two very different markets, the role and what you’re...

There is a consistent conversation around the lack of diversity at the coaching and executive levels of sports. These disparities are even more apparent in the National Football League (NFL), where approximately 70 percent of its players are Black, and only 14 percent of 122 hires since 2003 were not white, the Wallstreet Journal reports. While much work is needed to increase diversity among the staff closest to the field, the NFL is making strides to ensure that diversity and inclusion are a part of the strategy. And, where is it being implemented? Sports medicine.

Colin Kaepernick is on a mission to get the NFL to give him another shot since he was last on the field in January 2017. While the former San Francisco 49ers player is currently adamant on the decision of wanting to have another go at professional football, he’s also made a comeback with receipts proving his impact on the league. When recalling the aftermath of taking a knee during the national anthem in 2016, Kaepernick shared with the “I Am Athlete” hosts that Nike greatly benefitted from his likeness — specifically in a big payout — The Jasmine Brand reports. “When I first took a knee, my jersey went to number one,” he said, according to The Jasmine Brand. “When I did the deal with Nike their value increased by $6 billion. So if, you’re talking about the business side, it shows beneficial. If you’re talking about the playing side, come in, let me compete, you can evaluate me from there.” He continued: “The NFL is supposed to be a meritocracy. Come in let me compete. If I’m not...

The fight against racism in the NFL is far from letting up. AfroTech previously reported that former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores sued the league in February. The lawsuit claimed that there was “racism in hiring.” “God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals,” said Flores in a past statement. “In making the decision to file the class action complaint today, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game that I love and that has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.” According to ESPN, former Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks and former Tennessee Titans defensive coordinator Ray Horton have joined Flores’ movement. The two Black coaches have each experienced their own personal share of the league’s longtime racial...

REVOLT is welcoming new hires. According to information provided to AfroTech, the company is welcoming Diondre Lewis — who will serve as the company’s chief technology officer — and Chantelle Silveira, who will serve as Senior Vice President of Product. Lewis and Silviera will pioneer change within the media industry and lead technological advancements. “I’m excited to be a part of REVOLT at such a pivotal inflection point in the history of the company. We are sitting at the confluence of Black culture, media, and technology and we have a unique opportunity to combine all these forces and scale globally,“ Lewis said in a statement provided exclusively to AfroTech. REVOLT plans to stay ahead of industry trends and believes the strategic hires will advance the company’s goal to promote wealth building for its community in the real world and within the Metaverse. “REVOLT aspires to be a wealth-building engine for our community so, strategically, we have to build a business that can...