A Turning Point in History
Title IX opened many doors for women in many aspects of the educational world. Before this amendment was passed it was believed that women simply were incapable of athletics compared to men. It was not until 1848 that people even began to think of women as equal to men, and even then, it was a mere thought. When women became allowed to vote in 1920 it was clear that creating equality between genders was right around the corner. Forty four years later the Civil Rights act of 1964 eliminated discrimination due to race, religion, or origin. This act sparked interest of reaching full equality in every aspect of American life. On June 23, 1972 President Richard Nixon signed the Amendment that would change the lives of women forever. Many athletes set up 'Battle of the Sexes' competition to assist in the approval of Title IX, like the famous tennis game between Billy Jean King and Bobby Riggs. requires on of these three main things to be met:
- Proportionality: If 52% of a student body is female, then 52% of their athletes must be female.
- Satisfaction of Interests: If a school meets all the demands of female athletes then this requirement is met.
- A history of interest in providing equal opportunity in athletic programs.
A graph expressing the jump in women's athletics after the signing in 1972.