By: Norman Dotson Jr./BNC Digital

An African American sports group seeks to bring an NFL team back to Oakland which would make history as the first Black-owned NFL ownership group.

The African American Sports & Entertainment Group (AASEG) is hoping to capitalize on the “awakening” from last year’s pandemic and civil injustices when people began to gain a better understanding of the country’s racial inequities.

The group wants to make this moment a Jackie Robinson-styled moment according to a report on Black Enterprise.

“We feel like this is a Jackie Robinson moment,” said Raymond “Ray” Bobbitt, the creator of AASEG and the founder of Oakland-based facility management and urban consulting company said in the report. “Typically when African Americans break barriers, it opens up barriers for all people who are marginalized.”

According to an article in The Undefeated, the first big challenge is acquiring the city of Oakland’s share of the Oakland Coliseum site, home of the MLB’s Oakland Athletics. Alameda County sold its share of the site last year to the A’s. There are three groups — AASEG, the A’s and a group led by former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart — vying to purchase the city’s share of the site.

Home has ALWAYS been where my heart is. Oakland is every bit of who and why I am… An opportunity to do right by our community, keep our community, to do BETTER by our community is the only driving force for me in this. #wishusluck #Godspeed https://t.co/zwy3ocDgsk

— Dave “Smoke” Stewart (@Dsmoke34) January 17, 2021

The second hurdle would be negotiations with the league on its one-owner rule for an organization which brings the lack of diversity in the team owners. Currently, there are only two minority NFL owners. Shahd Kahn, a Pakistani American who owns the Jacksonville Jaguars and Kim Pegula, who is Asian American and co-owns the Buffalo Bills.

NFL ownership rules state that only individuals can own teams, with the controlling owner holding at least a 30% stake in the team. Under the rules, NFL owners, if they were to consider the AASEG plan, would have to make an exception.

“Due to the lack of equality economically, there’s probably two or three African Americans who fit that criteria,” said longtime sports agent Bill Duffy of the 30% controlling owner criteria. “We’re looking for hopefully a more creative model where there’s a lot more flexibility.”

The group plans to structure it in the way that the Green Bay Packers which was the only team to be publicly-owned. According to Duffy in a talk with The Undefeated, the league has been very respectful and has taken the information that has been presented.

Editors Note: Shahd Kahn is a majority investor in the Black News Channel