Watergate and Title IX: What Do They Have in Common?
Four decades ago, two significant developments unfolded in American history that changed how we think about government, and about equal access for girls and women.
This June marks the 40th anniversary of Watergate, the burglary and cover-up scandal that rocked the nation, and Title IX, the law that bans gender-based discrimination in education programs and activities. Both developments remind us of the prominent place they have had in shaping American culture. Title IX became law June 23, 1972, the same day in 2012 on which I am writing this post, so let’s focus on it first.
Title IX is often associated with sports in our collective thinking because of its impact on giving girls a better shot at equal participation in school and college athletics. But the amendment itself intends and decrees gender equality well beyond sports. According to Wikipedia, the Equal Opportunity in Education Act states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”
Title IX continues to have a remarkable effect on sports programs. Schools and colleges receiving federal funding can no longer offer programs or activities, hire or employ on the basis of gender. So far, the law has survived many legal challenges. Among the most notable, Wikipedia reports, is the 1992 case Franklin vs. Gwinnet County where Title IX was intentionally avoided.
Title IX, authored by congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii and Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in the same month of the Watergate break-in. There is still room for improvement, but it is amazing to see what Title IX has done for women and their careers, and for giving girls easier access to competitive sports. It came to mind the other day as I watched fourth and fifth grade girls confidently practice and play basketball in a gym that had as many girls as boys learning the fundamentals of the game.
In school and private athletic programs boys and girls now learn to challenge themselves and their teammates. Male and female players can now show they can handle the ball, score points and reach out otherwise to grasp the positive elements that sports can teach children and adults.
I am in no way athletic, not even on weekends, but I do read, listen to and watch sports reports. The latest player or team statistics, however, is not the target of my interest. Learning how first-string athletes, teams and coaches use technical skill and knowledge to play a great game and win is secondary, too. I go to the sports section for stories of courage, will, stamina, determination, exhaustion, joy, miraculous victories against all odds, and of course, crushing defeats from which a true champion rises to play another day.
Title IX makes it possible for girls and women to beat the odds of yesterday and today and to expect, even demand, equal treatment. Most young women and girls today hardly realize the depth and breadth of the fight for equality that preceded their birth, so they may not realize there is more to do to sustain past victories and gain new ones. I am hoping that current and future generations of women will use some of what they learn on athletic courts and fields to maintain and add to the balance of power in the America of today and tomorrow.
Let me know what you think when Title IX comes to mind. In my next post this June, I will focus on Watergate and consider it from a producer’s point of view.
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Four decades ago, two significant developments unfolded in American history that changed how we think about government, and about equal access for girls and women.
This June marks the 40th anniversary of Watergate, the burglary and cover-up scandal that rocked the nation, and Title IX, the law that bans gender-based discrimination in education programs and activities. Both developments remind us of the prominent place they have had in shaping American culture. Title IX became law June 23, 1972, the same day in 2012 on which I am writing this post, so let’s focus on it first.
Title IX is often associated with sports in our collective thinking because of its impact on giving girls a better shot at equal participation in school and college athletics. But the amendment itself intends and decrees gender equality well beyond sports. According to Wikipedia, the Equal Opportunity in Education Act states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity.”
Title IX continues to have a remarkable effect on sports programs. Schools and colleges receiving federal funding can no longer offer programs or activities, hire or employ on the basis of gender. So far, the law has survived many legal challenges. Among the most notable, Wikipedia reports, is the 1992 case Franklin vs. Gwinnet County where Title IX was intentionally avoided.
Title IX, authored by congresswoman Patsy Mink of Hawaii and Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana, was signed into law by President Richard Nixon in the same month of the Watergate break-in. There is still room for improvement, but it is amazing to see what Title IX has done for women and their careers, and for giving girls easier access to competitive sports. It came to mind the other day as I watched fourth and fifth grade girls confidently practice and play basketball in a gym that had as many girls as boys learning the fundamentals of the game.
In school and private athletic programs boys and girls now learn to challenge themselves and their teammates. Male and female players can now show they can handle the ball, score points and reach out otherwise to grasp the positive elements that sports can teach children and adults.
I am in no way athletic, not even on weekends, but I do read, listen to and watch sports reports. The latest player or team statistics, however, is not the target of my interest. Learning how first-string athletes, teams and coaches use technical skill and knowledge to play a great game and win is secondary, too. I go to the sports section for stories of courage, will, stamina, determination, exhaustion, joy, miraculous victories against all odds, and of course, crushing defeats from which a true champion rises to play another day.
Title IX makes it possible for girls and women to beat the odds of yesterday and today and to expect, even demand, equal treatment. Most young women and girls today hardly realize the depth and breadth of the fight for equality that preceded their birth, so they may not realize there is more to do to sustain past victories and gain new ones. I am hoping that current and future generations of women will use some of what they learn on athletic courts and fields to maintain and add to the balance of power in the America of today and tomorrow.
Let me know what you think when Title IX comes to mind. In my next post this June, I will focus on Watergate and consider it from a producer’s point of view.
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