In the Title IX Race Toward Gender Equality, the Black Female Athlete Is Left to Finish Last: The Lack of Access for the 'Invisible Woman'

Abstract

Although each of us is defined by race and gender, those of us who are neither white nor male often experience invisibility as a result of our dual subordinate status.... Black women have been disproportionately located at the lower end of the economic hierarchy and, therefore, have been unable to afford private golf, swimming, or tennis lessons. Overt racial discrimination prevented black women from gaining access to the sports participated in by white women. To the extent that the main thrust of solutions to gender inequity and a lack of adherence to Title IX mandates has been the addition of opportunities in the country club sports or those sports not traditionally accessible to Black women, we lose yet again.

Keywords: female, athlete, black, title IX, racial discrimination

JEL Classification: K00, K19, K39, J71, L83