T
hree years into her job as the Atlanta Hawks’ chief diversity and inclusion officer, Nzinga Shaw continues to wield influence both inside the Hawks front office and in the Atlanta community.
Nzinga Shaw
Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena //
Senior vice president, chief diversity and inclusion officer
The Hawks are the only one of the NBA’s 30 teams to have a chief diversity officer position, and since she was hired in December 2014, Shaw has quickly and effectively deepened the team’s relationship within the Atlanta community.
Consider that the Hawks last year held their inaugural Unity Weekend that included a day of service by team employees and a Unity Game between the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to the game, players, coaches and fans linked arms for the national anthem inside Philips Arena to stand united with the players for the preseason game.
The team also is an active participant in the Atlanta Pride parade and is aligning itself to the local LGBT and Hispanic communities as it continues to deepen engagement in those areas.
“It is using sports as a platform to unite change and have respectful conversations,” Shaw said.
The Hawks under Shaw’s guidance also have developed their Mosaic: Race and Gender in Sports event, an annual half-day symposium that addresses diversity and inclusion issues.
“It is an ongoing vehicle to talk about things that sports can advance in greater society,” Shaw said. “These conversations are so important and we have seen them grow year to year. We are proud of the program and what people are taking away from it.”
— John Lombardo
