Blog #4. Blumenthal, Karen. Let me play: the story of Title IX/the law that changed the future of girls in America.

Annotation:  "We shall someday be heeded, and...everybody will think it was always so, just exactly as many young people think that all the privileges, all the freedom, all the enjoyments which woman now possesses always were hers.  They have no idea of how every single inch of ground that she stands upon today has been gained by the hard work of some little handful of women of the past."--Susan B. Anthony.

Justification for Nomination:  The first women's right convention was held in 1848 I the United States.  These are the stories of women who believed in their gender and that they could do anything, anything men were allowed to do, and were willing to fight for equal rights.  By 1869 Congress approved the amendment giving black men the right to vote but not black or white women.  By 1900 women were allowed to compete in the Olympics.  Women who loved sports and were not allowed the same privileges as men and had to become activists, they were eager and ready to get into the game.  One little league girl said "I was stripped of my uniform because I was a girl, not because of an inability to play, I couldn't stand up for myself, and that really hurt"(55).

By 1923 the ERA is first proposed to Congress. A god sent for women's rights was Edith Green, who was elected to Congress in 1954.  In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat up to a white person.  In 1960, blacks were marching for civil rights as well.  The civil rights act didn't come about until 1964.  This was supposed to end racial and sexual discrimination in America.  Both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate had to vote the entire bill in.  All jobs were to be opened to all races and genders, which helped create the EEOC, Equal Employment Opportunity commission.  The days of women and minorities in traditional rolls were dissolving to become employed with equal pay.  President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act in 1963.

The Vietnam War and women being called 'woman's libbers' were becoming draft card burners and bra burners.  Just because the law was passed didn't mean it was being enforced.  Women were able to go to college but were not afforded the funding and the scholarships as their male counterparts were.  Congresswoman Edith Green promoted laws for educational funding for females and minorities so that they could pursue doctorates degrees at prestigious colleges.  In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed Title IX and the Senate approved the Educational Amendments into law.  Women could now pursue any profession or sport they desired. " As Tennis champion, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes"(126).

There are many more historical markers in this nonfiction book for American History.  Don't get me wrong, many people lost their lives and suffered humiliation while struggling for equal rights.  The struggle was a lot harder than just signing a piece of paper.  For any young adult who has aspirations of their own to pursue an education and a career in sports, this book is a must read.  In order to know where you are going you should know where you have been.

Patsy Mink, 1971 United States Representative from Hawaii says:  "While it is wonderful that equity has become the expected norm, we must also teach each new generation that there was a time when Title IX did not exist.  Further, we all need to be reminded that since Title IX was put into place by a legislative body, it can also be taken away by a legislative body.  We need to be vigilant.  Title IX must be protected and defended to ensure that equal educational opportunities for girls and women are preserved for all generations to come"(128).

Genre:  non-fiction, 2003 Sibert Honor book, sports, law, and legislation.

Justification for Nomination: