Staurowsky, Ellen J

English

SFU Library Digital Publishing (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)

Theresa Moore, (producer). License to Thrive: Title IX at 35. New York: Women Make Movies, 2008 (DVD)Reviewed by: Ellen J. Staurowsky, Ed.D, Professor & Graduate Chair, Department of Sport Management & Media, Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY, US. This  independently  made  film  ambitiously  undertakes  a panoramic exploration of Title IX’s impact on American society. In explaining why it was important to make this film, Harvard educated executive producer Theresa Moore said, We want young women to get a sense of empowerment and understanding  in  that  there  are  so  many  opportunities  out there  that  they  should  capitalize  on,  whether  it  is  on  the athletic  field  or  in  the  classroom.  They  should  seize  these opportunities and run with them because they are the next generation of leaders of our world (Moore).  Measured  by  Moore’s  expressed  aspirations,  License  to  Thrive succeeds  in  large  measure  by  offering  visual  testament  to  the ascension of women into positions of influence throughout American society since the passage of Title IX in 1972. Discussions regarding the transformative power of Title IX are framed within montages of girls and women competing on the athletic field, managing major corporations,  working  in  media  both  in  front  of  and  behind  the camera, conducting lab experiments, and running for high political office.After a brief introduction, the film begins with a segment entitled "Too Strong For A Woman", which allows the story of Title IX to be told by such pivotal figures as Dr. Bernice Sandler, considered to be the "godmother of Title IX", former U.S. Senator Birch Bayh (D-IN), who helped shepherd Title IX through to passage, and Gwendolyn Mink, daughter of Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color elected to the U.S. Congress for whom the legislation is now named. Through this segment and the one to follow, which deals with the complexities of separate but equal, a window into the depths of sex discrimination that once routinely affected girls and women in the 1educational system is opened, revealing the blatant nature of hiring practices that simply ignored women as serious candidates for the professoriate, the limitations placed on the number of women who could  attend colleges and universities  of  their  choice  because of gender quotas and then dictated what courses women could take once admitted, and the lack of support and resources available to women’s sports. Later in the film, a segment on the "Men of Title IX" reinforces  the critical  role  that  men have played as  allies  in  the implementation of Title IX in schools as well as day to day, in every family where fathers take up the obligations and joys of supporting their daughters.  Artfully, the film serves as a primer for teaching girls and women the nature  of  both personal  and political  power  with  educational access being the bridge to future career opportunities and success. In  the  segment,  “Strong,  Smart,  and  Bold”,  several  national programs  are  highlighted  such  as  “Girls  in  the  Directors  Chair”, which  offers  young  women  the  chance  to  create  their  own  film projects;  The  White  House  Project  that  lends  support  to  female political candidates; and Girls Inc.’s Eureka Project that fosters the involvement of girls in science, math, technology, and sports.  Perhaps one of the most novel aspects of this film occurs in the fourth segment, which greets viewers with the song immortalized by the iconic Aretha Franklin and reintroduced to a later generation by Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics, the song being “Sisters Are Doing It For  Themselves”.  It  is  here that  a cultural  response to  the long-standing assertion that the efforts of male athletes pay not only for their own experience but that of female athletes as well is upended, at  least  momentarily.  In  a  rare  media  moment,  the  financial commitment  women  have  to  college  and  university  athletic programs unfolds in the story of the creation of Yale University’s endowment for women’s athletics,  a fund started by nine former female  athletes  who  had  graduated  from  the  university  in  the 1970s,  now  referred  to  simply  as  the  WISER  (Women’s Intercollegiate Sports Endowment & Resource) Fund.  The noble effort and high purpose of this film to capture the broad social impact of Title IX recommends that it be viewed widely. At the same time, there are some modest flaws in the film that warrant mention.  First,  because  the  film  is  designed  to  be  used  in  the classroom,  as  evidenced  by  the  discussion  guide  marketed  to educators, which has options available for students in Grades 3-5, 2Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12 (License to Thrive Team, 2008), the explanation of Title IX’s 3-prong test reverses the order of prong 1 and prong 3 and further erroneously implies that compliance can be achieved by satisfying one of those prongs alone. Second, and far more complicated, is the lack of a distinction between the scope of Title IX, which is intended to allow all students the opportunity to fulfill their promise and potential in America’s schools uninhibited by discriminatory barriers grounded in sex stereotypes, and the impact that  Title  IX  has  as  a  result  of  fostering  educational  access  for female students.  Third, the film’s strength is at some level also a weakness: in an attempt to demonstrate how social change prompted by legislation ultimately resonates throughout the entire society, the specific work of  educating  citizens  about  how  Title  IX  works  and  what  steps individuals can take to remedy sex discrimination in schools goes unaddressed.  Fourth,  where  the  depiction  of  Title  IX  as  being understood primarily as a “sports law” in the film is designed to aid in broadening the dialogue and discussion, nevertheless the visual impact of the film is anchored in action shots of female athletes. In a film of less than an hour, it would be difficult to achieve an ideal balance between educating viewers about the full scale and scope of Title IX but there is a hint that the filmmakers themselves had not resolved  that  issue  themselves.  In  point  of  fact,  despite  the message, this visual skewing may have been intentional so as to make the film more marketable to its distributor, ESPN2, which aired the piece just at the start of the NCAA Women’s Final Four in 2008 through June of that same year. Although this may be far too much to put on the filmmakers, in the end, the remaining question (that is never  alluded to)  is  why,  with  all  of  the  progress made,  Title  IX remains such a controversial issue in athletics. In conclusion,  License to Thrive offers an important contribution to the resources available to preserve and perpetuate the story of Title IX. Its positive message of empowerment for girls and women emanates  throughout.  At  the  same time,  scholars  and educators should be aware of the few areas of confusion that might arise for students who will  likely have no base of  understanding to put in context what they may be seeing. Further, for those seeking a more definitive piece that specifically addresses the impact of Title IX in athletics,  a  comprehensive  and  meticulously  developed  DVD collection  entitled  Title  IX:  Implications  for  Women  in  Sport  and Education is highly recommended (Parks).3Ellen  J.  Staurowsky,  Ed.D,  Professor  &  Graduate  Chair,  Department of Sport Management & Media, Ithaca College, Ithaca,  NY, US. staurows@ithaca.eduWorks Cited"License to Thrive" Team. Letter to Educators: Facilitators Guide. New York: Women Make Movies. (2008) [http://licensetothrive.org] (27 June 2010) Moore, T. The Journey Continues: Why It’s Important To Make A Film About Title IX. New York:  Women Make Movies. (2008) [http://licensetothrive.org/video/detail/id/35] (27 June 2010Parks, J.  (producer). Title IX: Implications for Women in Sport and Education. Bowling Green, Ohio: WBGU-DT, Bowling Green State University. (2009) [http://www.wbgu.org/titleIX] (27 June 2010)Ellen J. Staurowsky, “Licence to Thrive: Title IX at 35”. thirdspace 9/2 (2010)4

License to Thrive:  Title IX at 35

https://journals.lib.sfu.ca/index.php/thirdspace/article/download/reviews_staurowsky/3284

License to Thrive: Title IX at 35

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