Tag: Floyd

  • Alabama A&M Names Thai Floyd as First Female Football Play-by-Play Announcer

    Alabama A&M Names Thai Floyd as First Female Football Play-by-Play Announcer

    Thai FloydAlabama A&M University has broken new ground in collegiate sports broadcasting by appointing Thai Floyd as the first woman to serve as the football team’s full-time play-by-play announcer. The historic appointment also makes Floyd the first woman to hold this position at any Historically Black College and University (HBCU) nationwide.

    Floyd will serve as the voice of the Bulldogs throughout the 2025 season at the Huntsville, Alabama institution, which competes in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Her appointment represents a significant milestone in diversifying sports broadcasting at the collegiate level.

    A Florida A&M University alumna, Floyd brings broadcasting experience to her new role. She previously worked as a digital media specialist for Alabama A&M athletics and has covered sporting events across high school, college, and professional levels. Her portfolio includes work as a sideline reporter and play-by-play commentator for ESPN+ and ESPNU, with assignments covering FBS bowl games and the Celebration Bowl.

    Floyd’s work has been featured across major media platforms including NBC Sports Philadelphia, HBCU Legends on Sports Illustrated, and ESPN’s Andscape, establishing her as a respected voice in sports journalism.

    Floyd’s path to the broadcast booth was influenced by her father, William Floyd, a Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers who transitioned to broadcasting after his NFL career. 

    “I grew up watching my dad work as a broadcaster after he retired from the NFL, so I’ve been around the game and the business my whole life,” Floyd said.

    Her long-term aspirations extend beyond her current role. 

    “I’d love to call college football on TV one day — that’s definitely the goal. Just staying focused, learning, and trusting the process,” she said.

    Floyd’s appointment comes at a time when female representation in play-by-play announcing remains limited. Research indicates that women comprise approximately nine percent of play-by-play announcers in sports broadcasting. Notable pioneers include Beth Mowins, who became the first woman to call a nationally televised NFL game, and Tiffany Greene, the first African American woman to serve as a play-by-play commentator for college football on a major network.

    Floyd views her role as part of a broader movement toward inclusivity in sports media. 

    “Having a seat at the table means making space for every Black woman who’s ever been overlooked or told she didn’t belong in this industry,” she said. “I’m just blessed to be walking in purpose and hoping my journey reminds the next Black woman that we’re not here to fit in — we’re here to take up space and change the game.”

     

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  • National Urban League Report Examines Five Years After George Floyd: “A Movement, Not a Moment”

    National Urban League Report Examines Five Years After George Floyd: “A Movement, Not a Moment”

    The National Urban League has released a new report examining the progress and setbacks in the fight for racial justice in the five years since George Marc MorialFloyd’s murder, challenging Americans to view the ongoing struggle as “a movement, not a moment.”

    The report, titled “George Floyd Five Years Later: Was it a Moment or a Movement?” traces the trajectory of racial justice initiatives since May 25, 2020, when Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. It details how initial outrage and corporate pledges of more than $66 billion for racial justice programs have faced increasing backlash, culminating in recent executive orders eliminating federal diversity programs.

    “History will judge us – not by how we responded in the days after George Floyd’s death, but by what we are building five, ten, and twenty years later,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “The fight for justice, safety, and dignity is far from over—and the stakes for our democracy could not be higher.”

    The report chronicles how Floyd’s murder ignited what it calls “one of the most significant calls for racial justice in generations,” with protests spanning from Minneapolis to Madrid demanding police accountability and government action to address systemic inequities.

    While the initial response was robust – with corporations, higher education institutions, philanthropy, and nonprofits pledging billions to confront systemic racism – the report documents how commitments have significantly eroded. Data revealed that DEI job postings declined 44% from 2022 to 2023, and major companies like Google and Meta scaled back programs supporting Black talent.

    The report details a pattern of progress and regression across several administrations. Under President Biden, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, led by Kristen Clarke, convicted more than 180 police officers for civil rights violations and investigated 12 police departments. President Biden’s executive order on safe policing created a national database to track police misconduct and banned chokeholds for federal officers.

    In stark contrast, the report notes that the second Trump administration “eliminated all DEI initiatives across the federal government on Day One” and “froze all open DOJ civil rights investigations.”

    “Five years after George Floyd’s murder, we are living in a different America,” the report states. “As President Trump began his second term, he signed various executive orders gutting federal diversity programs and efforts. This led to corporations and institutions of higher education abandoning their commitments to racial justice and eliminating their diversity programs altogether.”

    The National Urban League’s response has been multifaceted. The organization established a new division, Equitable Justice and Strategic Initiatives (EJSI), to advocate for justice system reforms. It developed “21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Community Trust” as a framework for police reform and created a “D3” platform based on three principles: Defend Democracy, Demand Diversity, and Defeat Poverty.

    In early 2025, the organization convened the Demand Diversity Roundtable, an emergency strategy session to confront threats posed by the new administration’s actions against civil and human rights. With partners, they filed a lawsuit challenging what they describe as “unconstitutional anti-equity executive orders.”

    “It is of the utmost urgency that we rise to defend not only the progress made in the years immediately after George Floyd’s murder, but of the last 60 years,” Morial emphasized in the report.

    Despite the setbacks, the report presents evidence that public sentiment still largely supports diversity efforts. It cites polling showing 61% of Americans believe diverse employees positively impact organizations, and 75% agree more needs to be done to guarantee everyone is advancing.

    “Despite challenges and headwinds coming our way, we are doubling down on the fight for a more equitable and just world, where our classrooms, offices, and boardrooms reflect who America is,” the report concludes.

    The 14-page report, designed with a striking red cover featuring Floyd’s name, includes a timeline of events from 2020 to 2025 and offers practical guidance for citizens wanting to protect their rights, including consistently checking voter registration status and supporting organizations fighting for equity.

    Morial’s message is clear: “As the moment of 2020 fades for some, we are positioned to lead the movement for a more just America where all Americans can live safe, full lives and thrive.”

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