Recipient Information
Location
Greer, South Carolina
Year of Award
2023
Grant or Fellowship
Leaders of Color Fellowship
Grant Amount
$0
Davelyn Athena
Executive Director, Speaking Down Barriers
Davelyn Hill is a Womanist. She is a Queer abolitionist who believes abolition is about creating beloved community and making things. Athena is the executive director for Speaking Down Barriers (SDB). SDB is an organization whose mission is equity for all. SDB seeks to build community across all that seeks to divide us by ending oppression and valuing everyone. Athena has a master’s degree in marriage and family therapy and an MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry from Converse University. Alongside providing counseling services, Athena has led support groups, presented research, and conducted university presentations around racial trauma and oppression. She enjoys facilitating groups and presenting about equity and journeying with folx through the grieving process. She is a spiritual director, healer, and spiritual midwife. Athena, also known as Davelyn Athena, is also an author, poet, and intuitive painter. Her art and poetry have been featured digitally and in various literary journals.