The NFL announced Friday it has hired Maia Chaka as a game official for the 2021 season. She becomes the first Black woman in history to join the league's officiating roster.
NFL OfficiatingWe welcome Maia Chaka to the 2021 roster of game officials! Maia makes history as the first Black woman to officiate at the @NFL level. https://t.co/1NHls98Lwi https://t.co/ycOxc6Cq1t
"It didn't really hit me until just now," Chaka said during an appearance on NBC's Today show. "When I saw the introduction, I'm like, 'This is really real,' because this is just something that we're just always taught to work hard for.