Because of Title IX: Christine Grant

Former Women's Athletic Director at University of Iowa, 2017 Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee & Title IX Pioneer

Finish this sentence: “Because of Title IX..."

I, over the last 45 years, have been privileged to watch girls and women throughout the country race to take advantage of equal opportunity in all of our educational institutions thereby preparing themselves to be well educated, self-sufficient, and successful members of society.

I have also seen girls and women enthusiastically embrace their opportunities in sport, thereby growing stronger physically, mentally, and emotionally, thus empowering themselves to be significant contributors to our society.

I have seen our educational institutions recently start to respond to and to remedy hostile environments in an effort to help combat the grave world-wide and largely undocumented problem of violence against women.

How have the athletic and academic opportunities afforded to you because of Title IX impacted your life? Can you imagine your life without them?

My excellent athletic experiences were in Scotland and Canada and because of these experiences, I quickly and clearly recognized the discriminatory practices in the U.S.A. prior to the passage of Title IX in 1972. I believe my athletic and academic backgrounds helped prepare me to speak out against all forms of discrimination. I cannot even imagine what my life would have been without sport.

Tell us about a woman who championed you in pursuing your goals. How did her influence inspire or affect you and your career?

My role model as I was growing up was my physical education teacher and coach. It was she who made me want to become a teacher and coach.

How are you continuing to champion the next generation of women and girls in sports, and raise awareness on the importance Title IX?

I started teaching at the age of 20, and I retired from teaching at the age of 70. I have tried to assist the next generation by educating innumerable classes and various groups of coaches, administrators, and students about Title IX so they fully understand what the law requires and what still needs to be achieved. I have also testified in several successful lawsuits where discriminatory practices were being utilized.

If you could send an empowering tweet to every woman and girl across the country, what would you send?

An empowering quotation: