Many may know Sheila Johnson for being a notable businesswoman including being a co-founder of the BET network and becoming the first African-American female billionaire. However, Johnson is no stranger to sports which is something that many might not know about her. Johnson is the owner of three major Washington D.C. teams: The Washington Wizards, The Washington Capitals, and the Washington Mystics as well as serving as team president, managing partner, and governor of the Mystics.
Johnson’s story is similar to most of the women who have been spotlighted. Her career path was at first not about sports, but instead more about entertainment. She received a degree in music performance and education and would eventually become a teacher before becoming co-founder of BET. She divorced her first husband and her life in sports really started there. Johnson would become the vice chairman of the Monumental Sports & Entertainment and become the first African-American woman to own stock in three separate professional sports teams.
While Johnson may be perceived as a typical business woman, her effort with the Washington Mystics is one that should not go unnoticed. One of the first things that Johnson noticed after visiting the teams was that the women’s locker room was significantly subpar in comparison to the men’s and that they were being treated unfairly.
As soon as she found that out, Johnson was appalled, “Whatever was in there before was just so rundown. It was just awful. No one would want to even change their clothes in there. I was literally shocked when I saw it. It wasn’t something I wanted to subject my players to.” which she quickly sought to fix. With the help of Johnson, the Mystics locker room was updated and is at the same quality as their male counterparts.
She is also a big advocate for male and female athletes receiving equal amounts of respect. It is no secret that women are treated more harshly and a lot more unfairly than men are. Her solution is simple, though, “Men respect women, but they don’t respect them to the level I would like them to. That social mindset needs to be changed. Men who have daughters are much more open-minded, but there is still a majority of the male public that believes women shouldn’t play sports.” which is something that seems to still plague society in 2015. However with the Mystics having Johnson at their helm, it’s safe to say that they are on their way to becoming as popular and successful as Johnson wants them to be.
Johnson is one of the rare and behind the scenes women in sports who gets easily overshadowed. As one of the most successful and caring owners, she deserves to be spotlighted. As an advocate for female athletes, she is sending out a message that everyone needs to hear and everyone should follow. Sheila Johnson is one of the classiest and most business savvy women in the sports world today.
