'I Really Like Giving Black People Their Flowers:' Director Dawn Porter On Shedding A Light On The Unsung Heroes Of Title IX
essence.com“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”On June 23, 1972, this one sentence snuck into a larger section of the Education Amendments which was signed into law by president Richard Nixon.
It was straightforward; no-nonsense jargon. And those 37 words were the result of a hard-fought battle for equality that helped level the playing field and attempted to remove sex discrimination from American life entirely.
ESPN’s 37 Words, a four-part documentary series premiering June 21 (parts 1 and 2) and June 28 (parts 3 and 4), celebrates Title IX and how its ripple effects spewed into education access and college admissions; sports and extra-curricular activities; and even sexual harassment cases on campus.
Fifty years later, the bold law’s significance is still top-tier.“The 37 words, to me, are so hopeful. They’re kind of like a bright light,” Dawn Porter, Director and Executive Producer of 37 Words tells Essence. “I love the simplicity of the law.
Read more on essence.com