NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- While joining in the commemoration of Juneteenth -- a day marking the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States -- Yale Bulldogs for Change (YBC) reflects back on the work it has done since its founding in 2020. The student-athlete organization has implemented a series of initiatives that have made an impact both at Yale and in the larger community. 
 
YBC's aim is to enhance the varsity student-athlete experience for people of color in addition to providing a voice and support necessary to navigate a predominately white institution. 
 
Rising junior Osorachukwu Ifesinachukwu, a defensive end for the football team, is a member of YBC's community service committee. 
 
"YBC, in my eyes, has been a way to give back to the community," Ifesinachukwu said. "At times, Yale tends to isolate itself from the surrounding community and world, and I believe our most immediate impact has been being able to serve the community around us. YBC has also given students a platform to voice their feelings about issues in our country and the world. Most importantly, it has allowed Yale University, and the students and staff that comprise the institution, to learn and grow; so that we may go out into the world and be sources of positive change."
 
YBC has initiated multiple efforts focused on supporting local communities of color, including a book drive for New Haven Reads that collected more than 300 books authored by or featuring people of color to distribute to kids in the New Haven area and an equipment drive for the New Haven Boys and Girls Club. 
 
YBC has made its voice heard on a national scale, including work on the "Bulldog Ballot Challenge" that got every eligible Yale student-athlete registered to vote for last November's U.S. election. The organization also issued statements regarding Black Lives Matter and Asian American and Pacific Islander solidarity.
 
In addition, the group has participated in national initiatives that span the landscape of college athletics and encourage connections. Multiple YBC members were among the three Yale head coaches, seven student-athletes and several administrators and staff members who took part in the 2021 Black Student-Athlete Summit this past January. This was the eighth edition of the annual summit, which brings together Black student-athletes and the staff and administrators who support them in order to focus on the unique needs of Black student-athletes.
 
Rising junior Chelsea Kung of the women's tennis team was one of Yale's representatives at the Summit. She also serves on YBC's Cultural House Connection Committee. Her involvement with YBC has been motivated by the events that focused the nation's attention on racial injustice in 2020.
 
"My journey with YBC began the summer before my sophomore year as the pandemic took hold and life really took a turn for the worst," Kung said. "That, coupled with the continuous onslaught of racial injustice and violence— which for the first time was being plastered across all forms of media— was an incredibly powerful call to action. Denial in any capacity was simply a choice to remain ignorant and unacceptable for anyone with an ounce of humanity. YBC gathered an incredibly diverse group of student-athletes, each as passionate about combating social injustice and creating a more welcoming environment for all identities and representations as the next."
 
YBC also amplified the conversation on campus and with others while fostering connections between generations of Bulldogs. The group partnered with Yale Athletics, the Yale Women's Athletic Network and Yale's Afro-American Cultural Center to host a guest panel highlighting Black Yale athletics alumni for Black History Month. The panel included women's rowing alum Francine Chew '00 (Vice President, People Development Capabilities – Prudential), women's track and field alum Stephany Reaves Couper '10 (Supervising Attorney – Public Defender Services, District of Columbia), men's basketball alum Earl "Butch" Graves '84 (President & CEO – BLACK ENTERPRISE) and women's track and field alum Patricia Melton '83 (President – New Haven Promise).
 
YBC also hosted Jen Fry for inclusion training for all Yale student-athletes. Fry, recognized as one of five "Champions of Diversity and Inclusion" by the NCAA earlier this year, is the founder of the social justice education firm JenFryTalks.
 
YBC has built out a digital presence, creating a list of resources on yalebulldogs.com that include Yale diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging resources; Yale cultural centers and affinity offices; Yale wellness resources; national resources and more. YBC members participated in the "More Than An Athlete" campaign, utilizing graphics on yalebulldogs.com and social media to showcase the multiple roles that Yale's student-athletes excel in. 
 
Nathalie Carter, Yale's Sr. Associate Athletic Director, Fan Engagement, has seen YBC's impact first-hand.  
 
"I am so proud of the great things YBC was able to achieve over the past year," said Carter. "Their work has laid an incredible foundation for our department to be intentional in our support for student-athletes of color, giving back to the community, and raising awareness about social issues. They should be proud to know their efforts will continue to positively impact Yale student-athletes well after they have graduated."  
 
As the 2021-22 school year nears, YBC looks forward to building on these achievements next year and beyond.
 
"In our first year, we promised and delivered tangible change to Yale's campus, highlighting previously silenced and ignored communities," said Kung. "Performative action was simply not the mission for YBC, and as we enter into our second year with a more established mindset and list of expectations, our mission remains the same: create and harbor a more inclusive environment for all student athletes by challenging social injustice and outdated norms."