Girls and women in the United States are more active participants of sport than ever before. Many attribute this dramatic increase to the impact of Title IX, the legislation that requires gender equity in educational settings. However, Title IX is proving just to be the first step, as it does not address all of the issues. Namely, application of the law skips over the fact that poor women of color are ultimately left out of the equation. Women and girls of color are not “winning” the Title IX game like white women and girls. On the contrary, the application of Title IX ignores poor, black females.
The purpose of this project is to fill the void left by ignoring poor girls of color by considering the voices that are often lost in Title IX fights. In considering the most recent lawsuit to reach the Supreme Court, Jackson v. Birmingham Board of Education, I explore the impact of this Title IX lawsuit on the Birmingham community. Through interviews with several involved in this lawsuit—Coach Jackson, three of his former players, a parent, a student, and an athletic administrator—I provide several angles on how Title IX played out at the local level. The concepts presented—the disposition of the city, the lawsuit, the inability to settle the lawsuit, and the experiences of those involved—all provide examples of the way issues of race and class seem to fall outside the scope of the Title IX law.