Title IX as a Social Justice Issue: Unpacking Its Successes and Challenges

Social justice was a timely theme for the 2025 National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) annual meeting. For active and athletic women, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 is one of the most important laws ever written. Given the influence of Title IX on girls’ and women’s participation in sport, the purpose of this paper is to (a) briefly explain my own experiences with Title IX (to provide context for the approach taken with this paper), (b) discuss the influence of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women on Title IX, (c) highlight major accomplishments attributed to Title IX, (d) elucidate historical and current challenges to Title IX, and, last, (e) offer a proposed course of action for NAK members to support Title IX as a social justice issue. I consider this one of the most important papers I have ever written—at this time in our herstory—given what is at stake.