Symposium on Title IX examines legislation’s effect
Title IX symposium examines effect of the legislation
In anticipation of the 50th anniversary of Title IX being passed into law, the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, SU Athletics, and the Department of Sport Management hosted the first of a series of speaking engagements discussing Title IX and its influence on womenâs sports on Saturday, October 9.
The first speaking event, âTitle IX and Womenâs Athletics: Looking Back and Looking Forwardâ gave attendees an opportunity to learn more about the history of Title IX, which is arguably one of the most compelling pieces of legislation in American history.
âTitle IX was included in an omnibus education spending law that was passed in 1972,â said Erin Buzuvis, a professor of law and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Western New England University. âWhy is that relevant? Title IX was really an add-on piece to a piece of legislation that was doing a lot of other things.â
At the time when Title IX was introduced into legislation, it wasnât viewed as controversial. In reality, it wasnât even a major headline. Though seen as a law promoting equal opportunity for women in athletics, neither sports nor athletics were mentioned in the original act. According to Buzuvis, it quickly became clear that sex discrimination needed to be addressed within athletics in 1974. For the NCAA, this proved to be a literal game-changer in how equality was addressed in collegiate athletics.
â..Shirley Chisolm said, âIf they wonât give you a seat at the table, pull up a folding chair,’â said Dr. Tracey Salisbury, an Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at California State University at Bakersfield. âDonât get comfortable. Sometimes weâre so ecstatic and exhausted from getting to the table that we donât always ask whatâs being served.â
A key talking point that surfaced throughout the panel was the idea that we as a society have become complacent in what we have accomplished with Title IX, but it’s not enough.
âWhen I enter this space, I bring my whole race with me,â said Dr. Ramona Bell, an Associate Professor in Critical Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Humboldt State University. âWhat does it mean when we say we enter with them? Basically saying that I have every right to enter this space and I will enter this space on my own terms.â
In looking towards the future, the entirety of the panel was in agreement: Title IX is one of the most influential pieces of legislation created for women since the passage of a womanâs right to vote. And the fight isnât over.
Dr. Ramona Bell speaks during the Title IX panel.
Erin Buzuvis (left) speaks during the Title IX panel as Dr. Tracey Salisbury looks on.
âYou can sit at the table and smell this beautiful chicken noodle soup,â according to Salisbury. âYou can see the rich noodles, and you can see the carrots and you can see the big juicy pieces of chicken, and then they start dishing it up. And then, by the time it gets to that one woman at the end of the table, you might get a few noodles, there may be a carrot or two rolling around in there, but thereâs no chicken in the soup.â
To Salisbury, women are now discovering that there is more than just broth and noodles, and that everyone deserves the same service at the dinner table. Without the chicken, women are not getting the full privileges as their male counterparts.
âThat is the importance of representation of what sports mean to women,â said Salisbury. âWe have some success stories to really celebrate. But we need to understand how itâll take to get there too.â
