Op/Ed: Thank you, Bernice Sandler. 'Godmother of Title IX' made true success real for all
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
As a former elementary school teacher, I can’t resist the urge to begin this article with a pop quiz. (Did you just get nervous?) Even without studying, I think you can do this. When you read the names below, say what activity that made the person famous.
Billie Jean King
Simone Biles
Sarah Fisher
Katie Ledecky
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Tamika Catchings
Without the help of Google, how many of you knew what made Bernice Sandler famous? Hint: Without Sandler, the other women wouldn’t have had the opportunity to truly succeed and the same might be true for you, or your mom, sisters or female friends.
Sandler, with the support of Reps. Patsy Mink and Edith Green and Indiana’s own Sen. Birch Bayh, fought doggedly to get the following words established into legislation:
“No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
More: Title IX passed, women athletes stripped, D1 coaches were furious, Jay Berman smiled
Title IX at 50:: 50 women who made a difference in Indiana sports
Sandler is considered the “Godmother of Title IX.” As a professor at the University of Maryland, Sandler constantly applied for open positions but was constantly denied. When she questioned the leadership at the university, she was told she was “too outspoken for a woman” and that is why she was overlooked for positions she was adequately qualified to receive. Her reality maddened her, and she decided to fight for equal opportunity for herself and others who were discriminated against.
June 23, 2022, is the 50th anniversary of Title IX and while many people connect the legislation to opportunities for women to play sports, that is just one of the many doors Title IX opened for females.
The first door was the opportunity for women to go to college and receive financial aid equal to their male counterparts. Prior to its passage, women were often barred from certain male-only courses or fields of study, including everything from calculus to criminal justice, law and medicine. Some colleges even refused to allow women to enroll.
More: Marvella Bayh was Title IX's secret weapon: She died at 46, never seeing the impact it had
Think about that impact. There is not enough space in this article to list the numerous female leaders in our state who have positively influenced and impacted our society. The majority of whom started their pursuit of success by attending college. Thank you, Bernice!
As the president of the Indiana Fever, my attention this June is drawn to the success of female athletes. Of course, with the Fever, it is a perfect two-fer since each of our players are college educated so they benefitted from Title IX by being able to play sports and go to college.
More: 50 years later, the future of Title IX is the rights of transgender students
Prior to Title IX, girls could play sports, but only 1 in 27 did. Today, 2 in 5 females play sports. Girls and women playing sports is not just good for them, but it is good for your company, too. According to Ernst and Young, 96% of female executives played sports in either primary and secondary school or during college. Through those experiences, they learned discipline, goal setting, focus, teamwork and the value of sacrificing for the win.
Sen. Bayh called the bill, “an important first step in the effort to provide women of America something that is rightfully theirs.”
As we reflect on the positive impact Title IX has provided over the first 50 years, we must stay resolved to protect future opportunities for girls and women. Birch and Sandler would want it that way.
Allison Barber is president of the Indiana Fever.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Thank you, Bernice Sandler. Without her, true success not possible
