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Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall continues to break barriers!
Marshall has become the CEO of the basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks. This also makes her the first Black woman to become CEO in the NBA.
Although this is a first for the NBA, Marshall has been experiencing a line of firsts her entire life. While in high school, she was the first African American President of the student body. Marshall recalled, “It was historic and the faculty was more emotional than I was and we’ve been blazing trails ever since then.”
Marshall attended the University of Berkley where she was the first black cheerleader and the first Black Delta Gamma. Accomplishing many firsts in her life also led her to have many setbacks.
Marshall stated that she was offered a position at AT&T that she originally turned down because her boss asked her to compromise who she was as a black woman. “When you fundamentally try to change who I am when you tell me I can say blessed when you tell me I’m too loud, you’re actually telling me you don’t want me to be a black woman.”
AT&T would reverse its course and Marshall would accept the job. In her new role, Marshall has plans to shift the culture as a way of making sure no one experiences the things that she went through.
“If nothing else, I’m proud of the speak-up culture we have. Our people have a voice. The level doesn’t matter.” She continued, “I had a meeting with every single person in the organization when I got there.”
Cynthia ‘Cynt’ Marshall has been spotlighted along with Rashida Jones and Mellody Hobson for their groundbreaking accomplishments as well.