ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester has a new connection to the NFL. The first Black female referee is a Rochester native.
Maia Chaka says traveling with the NFL this season was amazing with all the fans back in the stadiums.
As only the third female referee in pro football, she says she’s constantly approached by players who show their respect for her role and by the young girls who dress up as her for Halloween.
“This is something I love to do,” Chaka said. “I’m not doing this to be first or to break barriers, but what I do is meaningful for others. That is something I wear like a badge of honor, knowing that, I now have to represent because I’m creating opportunities for someone else.”
Chaka is a physical education teacher in the Virginia Beach Public School system.
She says she plans to also continue working with her non-profit called “Make Meaningful Change.” She even got design students from her old high school, Edison Tech, to create a logo for the non-profit.