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www.TitleIX.info. I Exercise My Rights is a public service, informational campaign designed to educate the public about Title IX. Simply stated, Title IX is a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding. This website explains the regulations in easy-to-understand language and uses real case studies as examples. In addition, it provides ways to find out about Title IX in your local community, links to many governmental and educational organizations for more detailed information and an easy-to-use e-mail system whereby you can contact the Secretary of Education in Washington, DC about Title IX.

Book by University of Minnesota Sociology Professor Doug Hartmann. Since 1968 a single iconic image of race in American sport has remained indelibly etched on our collective memory: sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos accepting medals at the Mexico City Olympics with their black-gloved fists raised and heads bowed. But what inspired their protest? What happened after they stepped down from the podium? And how did their gesture impact racial inequalities? Drawing on extensive archival research and newly gathered oral histories, Douglas Hartmann sets out to answer these questions, reconsidering this pivotal event in the history of American sport. He places Smith and Carlos within the broader context of the civil rights movement and the controversial revolt of the black athlete. Although the movement drew widespread criticism, it also led to fundamental reforms in the organizational structure of American amateur athletics. Moving from historical narrative to cultural analysis, Hartmann explores what we can learn about the complex relations between race and sport in contemporary America from this episode and its aftermath. The book is available from the University of Chicago Press.

NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee Selects First- and Second-Round Sites for 2004 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and Williams Arena has been selected as one out of 16 first and second round sites to host the 2004 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship on March 20 and 22 or March 21 and 23, 2005.

Title IX Lawsuit Dismissed - National Wrestling Coaches Association. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed the lawsuit brought by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and other athletics organizations against the U.S. Department of Education challenging the regulations governing Title IX. The decision to dismiss was announced June 11 in a 119-page ruling by U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. The plaintiffs plan to appeal, and they have 60 days to do so. "The fight is far from over," said Mike Moyer, executive director of the NWCA. "We're committed to seeing this through and abolishing the quota system once and for all." Supporters of the Title IX regulations were elated by the decision, particularly the judge's ruling that the plaintiffs had failed to show a causal link between Title IX and the dropping of men's athletics programs. To read the full article, visit the NCAA website at www.ncaa.com .

Despite 30 Years of Title IX Gains, Sex Discrimination Still Prevalent in Schools. On June 30, 2002, the 30th anniversary of Title IX, the National Women's Law Center released the results of two intensive investigations showing that pervasive gender gaps still persist in education. To read more about these two studies, visit the Law Center's website at www.nwlc.org .

Annual Minnesota Women's Press Directory. The directory lists hundreds of women-owned businesses and contains a vast network of resources for women. For information about how to promote your business in the directory, call the Minnesota Women's Press at 651-646-3968 or visit their website at www.womenspress.com .

Totally Awesome Coaches Award. The Minnesota Twins, in partnership with 3M and the Hennepin County Community Health Department, announced the creation of the Totally Awesome Coaches Award to recognize coaches of youth sports in Minnesota. The award is designed to honor coaches that, beyond teaching the fundamentals of their game, excel at promoting and demonstrating positive character traits and lifestyles to their players. For more information about this award visit the Twins community website at minnesota.twins.mlb.com .

More Than a Game: One Woman's Fight for Gender Equity in Sport, by Cynthia Lee A. Pemberton and Donna De Varona, is now available. See amazon.com's description at tinyurl.com/np2fy for more information.

Spoilsports: Understanding and Preventing Sexual Exploitation in Sport was published in July 2001 (Routledge) by Celia Brackenridge. Spoilsports offers the first systematic theory of sexual exploitation and abuse within sport. This is an invaluable resource for both academics and policy makers seeking to understand and deal with issues of sexual exploitation in sport.

2001 Report Card on Women's Health Provides Blueprint for Improving Women's Health Policies. In December, the National Women's Law Center, the Oregon Health & Science University and FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine released the second edition of Making the Grade on Women's Health: A National and State-by-State Report Card. The Report Card, which explores 33 health status indicators and 32 health policy indicators, finds that states made some progress since the release of the 2000 report, but notes that - overall - states are failing to meet the nation's goals for improving women's health. Making the Grade on Women's Health: A National and State-by-State Report Card can be ordered online or downloaded at www.nwlc.org.

Parents Prevail in Leveling the Playing Field for Michigan Girls. On December 17, 2001, a Federal District Court ruled that the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) can no longer discriminate against female high school athletes by placing their teams in nontraditional and/or disadvantageous seasons, including basketball and volleyball. National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) praised the verdict in MHSAA v. Communities for Equity (CFE) as a victory for Michigan girls and urged other state athletic associations and communities to take heed of the ruling and review their treatment of female student athletes. CFE is one of the plaintiffs in the Title IX case and NWLC is of counsel. “This ruling puts athletic associations and others who treat female athletes as second class citizens on notice that they are violating Title IX and other civil rights laws,” said Marcia D. Greenberger, NWLC Co-President.

GoGirlGo: Get on Board! The GoGirlGo Project is a new $1 million educational grant program dedicated to the development and funding of girls' sports programs that combine athletic skill instruction and programming with the delivery of educational information aimed at reducing risk behaviors that threaten the health and social advancement of girls aged 10 to 14. GoGirlGo kits are available now at no charge to any girls' sport programs that are interested in educating girls about health-risk behaviors. As part of the program, each girl and adult leader receives a free one-year membership in the Women's Sports Foundation. For more informat6ion or to participate in the GoGirlGo Project, please call the Foundation at 800-227-3988 or visit www.womenssportsfoundation.org .

Women on Power: Leadership Redefined, by Sue J.M. Freeman, Susan C. Bourque, and Christine M. Shelton, with forward by Jill Ker Conway. Women have made enormous strides into the professional workplace over the last two decades, yet few have assumed leadership roles in the higher ranks of predominately male occupations: business, politics, the professions, and sport. This pioneering collection by experts in a variety of disciplines combines theoretical discussions with historical and contemporary case studies to offer a fresh vista on how gender has influenced and redefined today's notions of leadership and power. The provocative essays cover a broad range of topics' including the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, global perspectives on women's environmental activism, mothering as a catalyst to social activism, and women in the enclaves of veterinary medicine and sports.

Eating Disorders and Adolescent Health: Targeting Specific Racial/Ethnic Groups. The BodyWise packet, which focuses on promoting awareness and knowledge of eating disorders among middle school personnel, emphasizes the link between healthy eating, positive body image, and favorable learning outcomes. The packet has been updated to include information about eating disorders among students of various racial/ethnic backgrounds, as well as materials for parents and updated resources guide. The expanded focus is part of the Office on Women's Health (OWH) Initiative to End Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. The BodyWise materials include easy-to-read fact sheets about body image and eating disorders for specific school personnel, as well as resource lists of organizations and materials. During the the fall of 2000, OWH distributed 10,000 packets were sent out to randomly selected teachers, administrators, nurses, counselors, coaches, and health instructors who work with 5th, 6th, and 7th grade students.

"Higher Goals: Women’s Ice Hockey and the Politics of Gender" by Nancy Theberge, offers a fascinating ethnography of physicality and gender relations in women’s team contact sports. The most extensive treatment to date of women’s experiences in team sports, Higher Goals provides an ethnographic account of the Blades, a Canadian team that plays at the highest levels of women’s hockey. With a vivid depiction of life on the Blades, the book follows the team over two seasons, tracing their journey to a national championship. Key issues in the sociology of sport and gender studies are explored, including the construction of community among women athletes; the "feminine apologetic" and pressures on athletes to conform to feminine ideals; homophobia and the experiences of lesbian athletes; and physicality and women’s experience in contact sports.