Examine a range of global and domestic issues at the intersection of sport and human rights.

Sport is anchored in human rights values.  It promotes fairness, non-discrimination, respect, and equal opportunities for all.  As it reaches billions, including young people, it is a conduit for advancing human rights standards around the world.  Wherever people are at play, they are always, without exception, rights holders.  But sport, often referred to as “the forgotten right,” also faces many challenges.  Too often, those who claim to love sport fail to uphold its standards.  Available research and data across the globe highlight repeated and serious violations of human rights in sport, including racial and sexual discrimination, financial exploitation, and neglect and curtailment of participatory rights and freedom of expression.

Believing in the transformative power of sport to promote and protect human rights, the University of Connecticut is pleased to host the second bi-annual Dodd Human Rights Summit October 22-24, 2025 at the Dodd Center for Human Rights.

The Summit, titled Sport and Human Rights, brings together prominent professional and collegiate athletes, thought leaders, policymakers, activists, scholars, students, artists, and business leaders from around the world to examine the promise, too often unfulfilled, of sport as a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for everyone, no matter one’s color, race, religion, ethnicity, tribal affiliation, socioeconomic status, gender or sexual orientation.

The Summit will serve as a critical venue for sharing insights, building relationships, and inspiring action to align the world of sport with the principles of human rights.  Through a mix of high-profile keynote addresses, fireside chats, and panel discussions, the Summit will engage a range of global and domestic issues at the intersection of sport and human rights, including: Gender, Sport, and Human Rights; Race, Sport, and Human Rights; Disability, Sport, and Human Rights; Business, Sport, and Human Rights; Children, Sport, and Human Rights; and History, Sport, and Human Rights.

John Carlos earned the bronze medal in the 200-meter run at the1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, breaking the 200-meter world record. During the awards ceremony, alongside his teammate Tommie Smith, Carlos raised a black-gloved fist on the podium in a powerful stand for racial equality. Carlos later excelled in track, played pro football, and became an educator. In 2008, he accepted the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for his salute, at the ESPY Awards and was recognized at the White House by President Obama in 2016. Carlos continues to work for human rights and is a founding member of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.