‘37 Words Changed History for Girls’ – Billie Jean King Opens up About the Title IX Amendment on Its 50th Anniversary

Billie Jean King is truly one of the trailblazers of women’s tennis. The legendary American was one of the very few women who fought for women’s rights both on and off the court.

June 23, 1972, was a historic day in America, as Congress passed the Title IX, a 37-word amendment to reduce gender discrimination. Recently, King celebrated the 50th anniversary of the law, by posting a powerful message on social media.

Billie Jean King celebrates the 50th year of Title IX

Earlier, the 12-time Grand Slam winner took to Twitter and delivered a powerful message. In the caption of the video, she wrote, “50 years ago today, 37 words changed history for girls & women in the U.S. #TitleIX is a landmark equality law that each of us must respect and protect, in order to build a more inclusive legacy for the next generation. Here’s to the next 50 years of progress!“

Then, in the video, she further said, “The reason women receive athlete scholarships today is those 37 words, include the word activity… Title IX, we must respect it and protect it. That’s what Title IX means to me.“

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It is worth noting that American filmmaker Dawn Porter made a four-part documentary series on ESPN about the Title IX amendment. Moreover, Billie Jean King was also a massive part of the series, as the series starts with an interview with the American tennis legend.

The storied tennis career of King

During the ‘6os and ’70s, King dominated the sport and grabbed plenty of headlines. Her match with Bobby Riggs, known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’, was one of the most-watched matches in the history of tennis. According to reports, around 90 million people watched the match, as King defeated 55-year-old Riggs in straight sets.

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Apart from that, she won 39 Major titles in her career, including 12 Grand Slam singles titles. In 1971, she became the first woman in the history of sports to earn more than $100,000 in one season.

However, King was more than a tennis player as she fought relentlessly for women’s rights off the court as well. Notably, she was one of the founders of the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and became the president in 1974. Even after retiring from tennis in 1984, her fight is still continuing for women’s rights and equality.