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Sandra Douglass Morgan was introduced Thursday afternoon as the new President of the Las Vegas Raiders, the first Black woman to hold that title in NFL history.
At a press conference in Allegiant Stadium, the team’s new $1.9 billion stadium that opened in 2020, the Las Vegas native assured the media she understands the path she is trailblazing for future women to follow.
“My qualifications speak for themselves, and I’ve led and managed teams through good times and difficult times,” said Morgan. “If me being a Black woman brings an additional lens to my leadership, which I think it does, if it inspires others to help other girls and women know there’s a different path forward, then I’m all for it.”
Some of those qualifications include being a practicing attorney for the last two decades, formerly Nevada Gaming Control’s board chairwoman and executive director (the first Black person to serve as board chair in Nevada history), and Independent Director with Allegiant Airlines, Caesars Entertainment, and Fidelity National Financial.
New Las Vegas Raiders president ready to take the reigns
The Raiders are no strangers to giving opportunities to those who are overlooked. Former Raiders owner, Al Davis, hired the NFL’s first Black head coach (Art Shell) and its first woman chief executive (Amy Trask) in the modern era. Al Davis was also the first team owner to draft a Black quarterback (Eldridge Dickey) in the first round.
Recently, the Raiders hosted a workout for Colin Kaepernick, his first NFL action since 2016.
Current Raiders owner Mark Davis said he knew from his first interaction with Morgan that she was a force.
“The Las Vegas connection was not a criteria, but it was something that was on the positive side of the ledger,” Davis told the media. “Obviously, somebody that knows this community, knows the people in it I think is very important for us to continue to build our foundation in Las Vegas.”
“We’ve been here really about four, four and a half years trying to build bridges within the community and everything else, and I think having Sandra here, who knows the community as well as she does, is going to be a very important part of helping that process,” continued Davis.
Black women have finally been getting the recognition and opportunities they deserve in front offices in multiple sports leagues. With the sale of the Denver Broncos, Mellody Hobson became the first Black woman with an equity stake in a NFL team in league history as a member of the purchasing group led by Walmart’s Rob Walton.
Last month the Phoenix Suns announced that Morgan Cato has become one of the highest-ranking women in the NBA after they hired her to become assistant general manager and vice president of basketball operations.
At her introductory press conference, Sandra Douglass Morgan made it clear there was still one person in Raider nation that she was excited to meet.
“I’m looking forward to meeting the president of Raider Nation, Ice Cube, whenever he has time,” Morgan told Raiders.com with a laugh.