Up Close: Athlete and Advocate

“Authenticity is your superpower.”

Ashland Johnson ’05 returned to campus last year for her first visit since she graduated to speak at the Cultural Life Program “Changing the Game: From Furman Grad to Civil Rights Advocate.” During her time away, Johnson made a career advocating in courtrooms, boardrooms and with lawmakers.

She was recruited out of high school to play for the Furman women’s basketball team. Johnson chose a rigorous academic path as an English major, seeking advisors who would push her to challenge herself.

“I joined the campus’ queer student organization at the time, Friends of Lesbians and Gays. I was one of four members,” Johnson said. “I was learning to be an advocate as well as learning about the act of being out.”

After graduating from Furman, Johnson was working in Atlanta when she faced discrimination that would set her on her life’s path. A medical emergency had put her in the intensive care unit, and she said while she was recovering her boss learned about her sexuality. While still admitted to the hospital, she received a letter from her employer that gave her an ultimatum – resign or be fired.

“I was just devastated. I was just out of college looking at the letter she wanted me to sign, and I remember saying ‘No, I’m not doing this,’” Johnson said.

She called the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal to get help fighting the injustice, but learned that in Georgia it was legal at the time to fire her for her sexuality. Inspired by the attorneys who helped her navigate this difficult period of her life, Johnson went to law school to study civil rights law and help advocate for a more inclusive world.

Johnson worked for the National Women’s Law Center, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Georgia Equality, the ACLU, Athlete Ally and the Human Rights Campaign. Some of her clients have included organizations like the NBA, NCAA, National Women’s Soccer League and the U.S. Olympic Committee, helping draft policies and provide inclusivity training for athletes and coaches alike.

In 2018, she started her own company, The Inclusion Playbook, bringing together athletes and policy experts for social justice. Her focus is on bringing a more intersectional approach to civil rights advocacy, bridging topics of race, gender and sexuality that she said are often siloed.

“I just decided to bet on myself,” she said. “I think it makes the work more impactful, because if you do the work in an intersectional way the policies you draft will address more people.”