Schoolgirls Can Find Protection in Title IX
By Joanne N. Smith
WeNews guest author
Sunday, May 15, 2011
In this intro from "Hey, Shorty!" Joanne Smith recalls how the rape of an 8-year-old catalyzed the co-authors' work to end violence against girls in public schools. The book offers a manual on applying Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination in education.
(WOMENSENEWS)--Anasia, a 7-year-old with a light-brown complexion, slim body, bright, black marble eyes and a vibrant smile, zealously took the lead in clearing the gym of boys and men when it was our time to play.
"All right boys, pack it up," she yelled through the bullhorn one day. "It's 4 o'clock and this is our space now. Please get dressed downstairs in the locker room."
The guys ignored her at first. Before I, as her program supervisor, could move in to help out, Mr. Al Vann, a neatly dressed, older black gentleman whom I had never