2022 is the 50th anniversary of Title IX. It is a civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination at any school or education program that receives federal funding.
The law changed athletics for women in the United States, adding more opportunity. It has also led to inspiration from generation to generation. For example, the 2019 champion U.S. women’s soccer team said they were inspired growing up watching the 1999 team win the World Cup. Globally, the U.S. women’s soccer and basketball programs are among those that have inspired other countries to invest more in their programs.
At the same time, inequities run strong. That same women’s soccer team was in a recent struggle with the U.S. soccer federation over equal pay. At the college level, a viral video from the NCAA tournament a few years ago showed drastically different amenities for the men’s tournament compared to the women.
On the next Charlotte Talks, we look back at the early days of Title IX, the opportunities it allowed, and the challenges female athletes still face.
GUESTS:
Jessica Charman – Charlotte FC radio color analyst
Judy Rose - former athletic director at UNC Charlotte and one of the first women to lead a Division 1 program
Christine Brennan – columnist at USA Today