50th Anniversary Of Title IX To Be Celebrated Thursday At Amalie Arena

TAMPA, FL — To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing and implementation of the landmark legislation Title IX, Spectrum, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, Tampa Bay Lightning, WISE Tampa Bay, the WICT Network Florida and Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will host a will host a celebratory event at Amalie Arena on Thursday, June 23 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Earlier this year, ESPN announced programming for Fifty/50, a monumental initiative honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX and highlighting the civil rights journey of women across the sports and cultural landscape. Throughout June, ESPN is presenting content and experiences that explore stories at the intersection of women, sports, culture and the fight for equality.

The event will include an educational and thought-provoking sneak peek of ESPN Films’ “37 Words,” a 4-part documentary series, chronicling the hard-fought battle of equal rights in education and athletics from award-winning directors Dawn Porter and Nicole Newnham.

City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will keynote the evening’s festivities followed by a discussion with prominent women and Title IX trailblazers from across the sports and entertainment industry, including:

• Kimberly Davis, senior executive vice president at National Hockey League
• Sue Moucha, four-time Team USA Paralympian
• Shaniya Benjamin, track and field student-athlete at the University of South Florida

As a provider of ESPN’s programming in Tampa Bay, Spectrum joins in commemorating the historic anniversary of the passage of Title IX.

“This event highlights the significant accomplishments of women in sports made possible by this legislation,” said Marva Johnson, group vice president of state government affairs for Charter Communications, which offers services under the Spectrum brand. “Thank you to Mayor Jane Castor, a role model for women’s sports during her college basketball career at the University of Tampa, and her leadership today in commemorating this historic anniversary.”

ESPN personality and Pinellas County resident Michele Smith will moderate the evening. Smith, a member of the Amateur Softball Association and USA Softball Hall of Fame’s, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and has been ESPN's lead college softball color analyst since 1998. In 2012, Smith became the first woman to serve as commentator for a nationally televised Major League Baseball game.

The celebration event is a joint effort with the TBSC’s Beyond Series initiative, a women’s empowerment and legacy program that leverages the power of sports by uniting, educating and inspiring girls and women in the Tampa Bay community.

In total, the Sports Commission has hosted three other “Beyond Barriers- Because of Title IX” events (2017, 2019, 2020).

“We are so fortunate to welcome this celebratory screening event to our market,” said Tampa Bay Sports Commission Vice President of Events Claire Lessinger. “Team Tampa Bay has had the great pleasure of hosting many women’s championships and major events throughout the years. Alongside those events, it is a priority of ours to leverage the hosting platform, highlight the female athletes, coaches and leaders that make it all possible and inspire future leaders to dream big and shoot for the moon. Title IX changed the landscape of opportunity for so many young girls and women, and I hope all the attendees can celebrate how far we have come and leave realizing how much work we still have to do.”

Additionally, the Tampa Bay Sports Commission and local legendary historian and columnist Joey Johnston have been honoring local Title IX trailblazers throughout the month of June through the “Tampa Bay’s Title IX Trailblazers” vignette campaign.

The Tampa Bay celebration of Title IX is free and open to the public. Register in advance at BeyondBarriers2022.com.