Diversity in the Sports world

Danita Johnson and Bianca Smith are scoring goals and home runs for women as they both take up positions in men’s sports leagues.

The D.C. United soccer league is gaining Danita Johnson as their president of business operations. This makes Johnson the first black woman or man to become a Major League Soccer president. Danita Johnson is not new to the sports world for she has experience holding executive positions in pro basketball teams like the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers and WNBA’s Washington Mystics.

Bianca Smith is the new coach for the Boston Red Sox’s minor league team, making her the first Black woman to coach in professional baseball history. Smith was a softball player for Dartmouth College and is currently the assistant coach and hitting coordinator at Carroll University.

This news comes in the wake of pro athletes calling for a change in the sports world for more diversity. Movements for social justice were most publicly seen in the NBA bubble during the 2019-2020 season with athletes wearing masks and jerseys with Black Live Matter messages like “Equality”, “Say their names” and “Justice”.

Here is a quote from a great female athlete Serena Williams:

“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.”

Be Amazing! 🍋