Maia Chaka made history on Sunday, as she became the first Black woman to officiate an NFL game.
“This historic moment to me is an honor and it’s a privilege that I’ve been chosen to represent women and women of color in the most popular sport in America,” said Chaka in a video tweeted by the NFL.
Officiating in Sunday’s New York Jets at Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina, Chaka is the third on-field female official in the NFL, joining Sarah Thomas, the first permanent female game official, and Shannon Eastin, who was the first 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.
