Firsts for Black People in Law & Sports

During his final weeks in office, President Joe Biden is stacking the deck in courts that legal experts say will be a “critical counterweight to policies that might target civil rights and marginalized communities” during a second Trump presidency. 

Biden just confirmed Judge Tiffany Johnson to the Northern District of Georgia, which makes 40 Black women he has appointed to lifetime federal judgeships. That’s more than any president in U.S. history. And the 62 Black judges he’s appointed in total are the most by any president in a single term, according to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

Some historic appointments on that list include Tiffany Cunningham, the first Black judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and Dana Douglas, the first Black woman on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

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And NBA Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter are making big business moves. The NBA All-stars who were teammates on the Toronto Raptors, are taking their talents off the court into ownership as minority stakeholders in the NFL group of the Buffalo Bills, making history as the first minority stakeholders in the franchise’s long history. 

Tracy and Vince are 2 of 10 limited partners approved to join the team's ownership group. This is a huge shift for the Bills, now opening its doors to diverse leadership for the first time. 

Vince said in a statement, “It’s a huge honor to join this historic Bills organization… I’m truly thankful the Pegula family has given me the opportunity to help the franchise continue to grow and thrive in player growth, community service and, of course, winning the Lombardi trophy. See you soon Bills Mafia!!!!”

Keep shining!


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