On June 23, 1972, President Richard Nixon signed the Educational Amendments of 1972  into law.  One of the most important features of the new law was Title IX, which  expanded protections provided by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  Title IX states that “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

With the passage of Title IX, the landscape of higher education, including intercollegiate athletics, was forever changed.  Title IX mandated that schools provide fair and equal treatment of the sexes in all areas, including athletics. The effective date for implementation was July 21,  1975. 

Thanks to the critical work of sports writer Jeff White, we know more about  the uphill battle for gender equality and parity at UVA.  Last year, he interviewed several key players in the complex history of women athletics at UVA (see: https://virginiasports.com/news/2022/06/23/anniversary-marks-50-years-of-change/ and https://virginiasports.com/news/2022/02/21/black-history-month-spotlight-paulette-jones-morant/). 

The interviewees focused on their experiences as players, coaches, and administrators not just at UVA but other universities. 

“In ’72, all of the sudden women’s opportunities didn’t grow exponentially,” noted Jane Miller, who played basketball, field hockey and lacrosse at Northeastern University between 1969 and 1973.

“Instead, it took a long time for those things to happen,” Miller pointed out. “So it was less than a steady process to bring the women up to where they are today…”

As a beneficiary of Title IX, I’ve enjoyed learning about the history of women s sports at UVA. I’ve  likewise appreciated the opportunity to highlight some of the important figures in that history. 

This year, Kevin Everson and I completed a short film, Accidental Athlete, which centers on the fascinating story of Paulette Jones Morant and features two recent student athletes Myla and Hailey Barnett. 

The film had its world premiere at Black Star Film Festival on Wednesday, August 2, at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia.  It screens again today at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Screening time is 11 a.m.