Three Tar Heels traveled to Seattle earlier this month for the second-annual Athlete Activism Summit and returned home with new connections and renewed motivation to work for change.
Anton Down-Jenkins (men's swimming and diving), Jimmy Lynch (field hockey) and Shelley Johnson (Student-Athlete Development) represented UNC's Athlete Ally chapter at the event, which brought together student-athletes, coaches, staff members and supporters from schools across the country.
"Attending the Athlete Ally summit was extremely rewarding," said Down-Jenkins, a diver from Wellington, New Zealand who graduated in May. "Not only did it let me expand my support network of LGBTQ+ athletes and allies in sport across the country, but it also allowed me to deepen my understanding of the systems of power and privilege that still need to be addressed and broken down in order for every athlete to feel safe, seen, and welcome in sport.