ACC Announces Second Annual Spring Unity Week
GREENSBORO, N.C. – As part of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s continued commitment to inclusion, social justice and racial equity, the league will hold its second annual Spring Unity Week April 16-24.
ACC Unity Weeks are an initiative of the ACC’s Committee for Racial and Social Justice (CORE) and have been developed in conjunction with its 15 member institutions. The league celebrated three Unity Weeks last year (Fall, Winter, Spring) and has done the same during the 2021-22 academic year.
The theme for the 2021-22 academic year is “Awareness to Action,” which is intended to challenge each individual to get involved in activities that promote unity and connect with people and organizations to affect positive change in our communities.
ACC athletics departments are encouraged to actively engage in activities with their campus and local communities that promote unity. Some examples include community service projects, Unity walks, Town Hall meetings, partnerships with local social justice organizations and/or civic groups, civic engagement education and celebration of institutional UNITE Award recipients.
Additionally, ACC Network’s Packer and Durham Show will have an interview with a student-athlete each day during Unity Week.
“The ACC remains committed to the pursuit of racial and social justice and bringing awareness to what our outstanding student-athletes are doing in this extremely important area,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D. “CORE continues to do an amazing job of bringing our campuses together and we look forward to celebrating Spring Unity Week. Congratulations to all of our student-athletes, coaches and administrators for their tireless work in promoting diversity and inclusion.”
Each of the ACC’s spring sports are in action during the week, including four conference championships: Women’s Golf (April 14-17), Men’s Tennis (April 20-24), Women’s Tennis (April 21-25) and Men’s Golf (April 22-25).
Among the ACC’s initiatives during Unity Weeks:
- UNITE logo inclusion on ACC Network TV broadcasts
- ACC Network will feature a student-athlete from one institution per weekday throughout the three Unity Weeks during the year
- Provide UNITE themed promotional items to give to student-athletes and coaches
- All league social handle profile pictures featuring the ACC UNITE logo
- The Conference office will focus social media coverage on one institution per weekday throughout the three Unity Weeks throughout the year
- Produce video content/programming for each Unity Week (i.e., UNITE Award winners panel discussion, student-athlete leaders discussion panel, etc.)
