Source: George Gojkovich / Getty
The Washington Football Team has made a historic hire in naming its newest team president, the first Black man to hold the position for an NFL team. Jason Wright, a former player in the league, joins a team that is still attempting to correct course of its decades-old racist team name after finally discarding the nickname this year.
Wright’s came as something of a surprise Monday morning (August 17) during a segment of Good Morning America in an exclusive chat with former NFL star and host, Michael Strahan. Wright, 38, will become the league’s youngest team president along with the distinction of being the first Black president within the league.
The incoming Washington Football Team president comes with intimate knowledge of the game having played seven seasons as a running back with stints in San Francisco, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Arizona. He was a standout player for Northwestern University where he earned a psychology degree and went on to attend the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where he obtained an MBA.
Ahead of the Washington role, Wright worked for the consulting firm McKinsey and Company, becoming a partner with that outfit.
In his own words, Wright told Strahan of what he hopes to bring to the Washington front office as the season looms just ahead.
“Part of what excited me about taking this role — we had a phrase when we played that said, ‘you don’t talk about it, you be about it,’ — and I think what I’ve seen from Dan and Tonya Snyder in the hiring of coach Rivera and some of the decisions they’ve made, to have an independent investigator come in around the sexual harassment allegations, there are actual shifts in action to suggest it’s a new day, and that’s why I’m excited to take this on,” Wright shared.
With the news going wide, reactions on Twitter are still developing, of course with the requisite racist trolls doing their usual bit. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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Photo: Getty
Washington Football Team Names Jason Wright As 1st Black Team President was originally published on hiphopwired.com
1.
A black man hired? Forced diversity. Woman hired? Pandering to the feminists. A white man hired? No comments. Hmmm interesting
— Keion (@Keionisbored) August 17, 2020
2.
Congratulations after 400 years we got our first black NFL Team president Time to celebrate. Call me when get our first Black 100% owner pic.twitter.com/oEyIzPhZdx
— Luther Luke Campbell (@unclelukereal1) August 17, 2020
3.
Never seen SO many people asking about the qualifications of a teams President...🤔🤔
— Andrew Metcalfe (@drewmet_FF) August 17, 2020
4.
This comment section is already full of racist tropes. Post racial America indeed.
— Tundey A. (@realtundey) August 17, 2020
5.
That's awesome! We were teammates for a brief time in Cleveland + I LOVE seeing guys go on to do big things after their playing days. 👍
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) August 17, 2020
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“First black” or “first female” or “first black female” anything in 2020 just keeps telling me we’ve got a long way to go as a society. But happy to see the progress nonetheless
— Sky Daddy (@RanD_Savage1) August 17, 2020
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I’ve never heard of this guy and thought the same thing, I’d ask the same question of a white man I had never heard of. After learning about his background, he seems like a good choice. I wish him well for the team. Stop assuming it’s always a racially motivated situation.
— Jonathan Woods (@jwoods703) August 17, 2020
8.
Lol yt ppl r always corcerned with how a non yt person acquires anything more than what they have...smh really seems to get their blood boiling.
— [sawn-OH] ♎️ (@sonowe_) August 17, 2020
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Black excellence on this fine Monday morning . . . ✊🏾💚❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/HoaNDPYi6q
— Skeet 🏁 (@Speaker_boXxX) August 17, 2020
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Bruce Allen’s qualifications:
— PCB (@PCB_RIP_ST21) August 17, 2020
-Succesful dad
-Can put back a 30 rack of coors light
12.
He sounds more qualified to plan a coup in latin america than run a football team but we’ll see
— Alex Thorne (@AlexThorneDC) August 17, 2020
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— he who caramelizes onions (@BigAlTweetz) August 17, 2020
14.
McKinsey is one of the most psychotic companies in existence. A consulting firm with a history of privatization, price fixing, mass layoffs, outsourcing, benefit slashing, and more. Pete Buttigieg cut his teeth with McKinsey too, and that's really all you need to know
— last of the mohawkens (@OneMisterJones) August 17, 2020
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If only football was played on the field of diversity and identity politics.
— Harrison Weinhold (@RadioHarrison) August 17, 2020
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“The fact that I happen to be Black and the most qualified person for this is a boost” - Jason Wright
— 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 (@exavierpope) August 17, 2020
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It shouldn’t have taken a knee on George Floyd’s neck, The Washington Football Team eliminating its racist moniker in league of 70% Black players for history to be made https://t.co/IC0wRAlhPa
