Maui-native Patsy Takemoto Mink blazed a trail. Denied a place in medical school because “there were already enough women in the school,” she instead became a lawyer and legislator who would go on to co-author Title IX, later renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act following her death in 2002. Signed into law on June 23, 1972, the mandate would ensure doors would be open for others.
The statute itself is one sentence long: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
Mink advocated for civil rights and while there are so many areas of discrimination she fought against, today we spotlight the advances in athletics and the inequities that still exist. Our panelists are:
- University of Hawaiʻi Associate Athletics Director Lois Manin
- ACLU of Hawaiʻi Legal Director Wookie Kim
You can share your Title IX story by calling our talkback line at 808-792-8217 or by writing to talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org.
