Bellonora McCallum rises from Raleigh roots to reshape sports representation

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Women's History Month reminds Bellonora McCallum of where she started.

As a little girl, she spent summers in Raleigh's Method Community, a historically Black neighborhood her family has called home for generations. It's where her love for sports was born.

"This is the basketball court we would walk down to and play on sometimes after church. The soccer field where we would run around and make up our own games," McCallum recalls.

Now 44, McCallum balances teaching four courses a semester at her alma mater, North Carolina A&T, with her work as a practicing attorney and sports agent. Her path began with a sports law class she took while attending law school at North Carolina Central University, which sparked her passion for representing athletes who look like her.

"There weren't a lot of minority agents out there. If you're going to have this talent - if the majority of clients are getting signed and picked up - why can't your representation look like you?" McCallum said.

McCallum is a certified sports agent with the NFL, MLB and NBA and runs her own agency, ME Sports. In an industry where few Black women are represented, she is one of a handful changing the game.

According to Diverse Representation, an organization that promotes diversity in sports and entertainment, Black women account for fewer than 75 certified sports agents in the United States. Most work as NFL contract advisers.

McCallum got her start as a boxing promoter. Today, her role as a sports agent includes scouting clients, attending games, building relationships, offering financial guidance and negotiating contracts. She said one of her clients was drafted last year.

"I've seen athletes who have worked with me go on to the professional level, which has been amazing," she said.

One day, McCallum hopes to focus on sports representation full-time. She said honoring Women's History Month serves as a reminder to keep pushing forward.

"Think about the women coming behind me who ask, 'Can I do these things? Are there limits to what I can do?' There are no limits to the things you can do," McCallum said.