To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passage of Title IX and the continuing struggles that women face for equality, ESPN Films and espnW have created the Nine for IX film series, which will air on ESPN this summer. The two films being screened – “Venus Vs.” and “Let Them Wear Towels” – explore the struggle for workplace equality for women through the lens of two remarkable stories from the world of sports.
In the ESPN film “Venus Vs.”, director Ava DuVernay explores the movement, led by Venus Williams and Billie Jean King, seeking equal pay for women’s tennis players at Wimbledon – a fight Venus ultimately wins.
The ESPN film “Let Them Wear Towels” examines the obstacles facing female sports journalists seeking to break into the “boys club” of the professional sports locker room. The film features pioneering female sports journalists Melissa Ludtke, Christine Brennan, Lesley Visser, Claire Smith, and more, and tells of the outright hostile atmosphere that these brave women faced while trying to do their jobs.
Please join the Center for American Progress’ Reel Progress film series and ESPN Films for the Washington, DC premiere of “Venus Vs.” and “Let Them Wear Towels”, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A.
For more information on the full Nine for IX series, including air dates, please click here.
Welcome:
Jocelyn Frye, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Opening remarks:
Latifa Lyles, Acting Director, Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor
Distinguished Panelists:
Ava DuVernay, Director, “Venus Vs.“
Christine Brennan, Featured Journalist, “Let Them Wear Towels“
Melissa Ludtke, Featured Journalist, “Let Them Wear Towels“
Laura Gentile, Vice President, espnW
Moderator:
Daniella Gibbs Leger, Senior Vice President, American Values & New Communities, Center for American Progress