Praise for 37 Words, the book

Advance readers had this to say in praise of 37 Words: Title IX and Fifty Years of Fighting Sex Discrimination:

“Boschert’s exquisite achievement in 37 Words rests on deeply researched history, eloquent prose, and perhaps most surprising of all, the page-turning story of how one unassuming yet brave woman – Bernice Sandler – turned sexist oppression into educational liberation for millions of women.  There is sobering and uplifting brilliance dancing off the pages of this book, page after page.  Do not miss it.” — Jennifer Freyd, founder and president, Center for Institutional Courage

“37 Words is a stellar and moving tribute to Title IX’s fifty years of gender equity progress in schools. The book centers the champions behind this landmark law—the authors and advocates, survivors and athletes, and every student breaking gender stereotypes to reach their dreams. Well-researched and brimming with hope, the book is an inspiration in our continued fight for gender justice for all.” — Noreen Farrell, executive director, Equal Rights Advocates

“The struggle to win, implement and preserve Title IX, the bedrock 1972 law banning sex discrimination in education, comes alive in these pages. Boschert’s vivid biographical portraits of key leaders of these efforts, from the 1960s to the present, make this a page-turner that illuminates the historical roots and antecedents of the #MeToo movement.” — Ruth Milkman, professor of sociology and history, CUNY Graduate Center, and author of On Gender, Labor, and Inequality

“Indispensable reading for anyone who cares about education, including students, teachers, administrators, parents, and graduates–so basically everyone.” — Nancy Chi Cantalupo, assistant professor of law, Wayne State University

“37 Words takes perhaps the most consequential piece of legislation—in terms of actual, demonstrable impact—of the twentieth century and makes it come alive. Sherry Boschert argues that Title IX is a vital part of the larger educational mission ensuring that systems of oppression don’t deny young people an honest chance to grow. 37 Words is a book that will expand your mind and take you on a journey far, far beyond the period when Title IX became law. It is a look at more than fifty years of educational history, with lessons for all of us.” — Dave Zirin, author of The Kaepernick Effect and sports editor, The Nation

“Throughout, Boschert emphasizes that protection under the law is not automatic but relies on pressure from government officials and outside activists; stresses the importance of Title IX in addressing inequities that are grounded in both race and gender; and highlights the persistence and optimism of the educators, lawyers, students, and athletes she profiles. Readers will take heart in this story of hard won progress in the fight for equality.” — Publishers Weekly, Vol. 268, Iss. 50 (Dec. 5, 2021)

“A valuable, well-researched, and nuanced history on an important subject.” — Booklist, a publication of the American Library Association, February 15, 2022, page 4

“WOW! What a well researched and exemplary view of the historical perspective of the meaning of equity in the United States. 37 Words has expanded the dictionary of anyone seeking to master the full definitions of “equal” and “all” in civil rights in the United States. Your documentation is exquisite! Your scholarship cutting edge!” — Herb Dempsey, Title IX gadfly, founder of Old Guys for Title IX, and leader of the “dadflys”

“With this detailed work, Boschert (Plug-in Hybrids: The Cars That Will Recharge America) puts a human face on Title IX, the law that revolutionized gender equity in U.S. education when it passed in 1972. Beginning with the early days of the movement for the amendment, she describes some of the people who faced discrimination in schools and academic hiring and who lobbied for change. Later chapters delve into two of Title IX’s most significant areas of impact, equity in sports and campus responses to sexual assault and harassment, focusing especially on Fresno State and Yale but also discussing the major impact and advocacy at colleges and high schools across the country. Boschert illustrates connections between Title IX and the #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements and shows how its reach has extended deep into American culture and social change. However, she stresses that while a long history of activism and sacrifice made Title IX possible, the battle for educational equity still has a long way to go. VERDICT: Readers will finish this book with a clearer understanding of Title IX’s impact, its shortcomings, and the continued threats faced by female students as they seek access to educational opportunities.” — Library Journal, February 1, 2022

“Sherry Boschert captures the fight waged by feminists over decades against sex discrimination in education and to secure equal access and opportunity for women and girls. Setbacks and victories, protests and demonstrations, the fights in Congress and in the courts, are all chronicled by Boschert. 37 Words is an important book at an important time, reminding us of the need to keep fighting for Title IX.” — Katherine Spillar, executive editor, Ms. magazine

“A page turner for anyone interested in learning how one person’s experience can be turned into a national movement.” — Deborah T. Ashford, senior counsel, Hogan Lovells LLP

“You’ve done a great job of upholding intersectional feminism as an essential component of the Title IX story. It was a pleasure to see the stories of black women and other women of color, not as afterthoughts or token add-ons, but as integral to the overall narrative.” — Naakai Addy, writer, editor, consultant, and sensitivity reader

“AMAZING experience reading this… It was inspirational, educational, thought provoking, and overall EXTREMELY powerful.” — Eliana Salazar, student, California State University, Fresno

“I’m mightily impressed by the breadth and volume of Boschert’s research and her ability to craft it into a compelling read. 37 Words is a history but it’s also a roadmap for what it will take to go forward. It’s a really important book.” — Lucy Jane Bledsoe, author, No Stopping Us Now

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Feedback from people who appear in the book and who received the full manuscript:

“It is an amazing work of our history… This book is truly a book about feminist heroines of all races and ages.” — Pamela Y. Price, civil rights lawyer and candidate for District Attorney of Alameda County, Calif.

“…truly, and literally, a stunning accomplishment. You have a book that is compelling, timely, original, and powerful… It is outstanding.” — Ann Olivarius, co-founder, McAllister Olivarius

“…you did the most extraordinary job. You really did…” — Marcia Greenberger, founder, National Women’s Law Center

“You’ve done an INCREDIBLE job in telling this story in detail. I am so grateful to you, for preserving this feminist history!” — Holly Knox, founder, Project on Equal Education Rights

“What a tale this is! This will be an enormous contribution to history.” — Margaret Dunkle, first chair of the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education

“…such a wonderful book… It’s so lovely to learn about the human history behind this law, and I learned a ton.” — Alexandra Brodsky, co-founder, Know Your IX and author of Sexual Justice: Supporting Victims, Ensuring Due Process, and Resisting the Conservative Backlash

“…a pleasure to read… Kudos on a truly monumental undertaking…” — Dana Bolger, co-founder, Know Your IX

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And last but not least, the “godmother” of Title IX offered these kind words after reading the first half of the manuscript before her death in 2019:

“I have often lamented that there is no complete and accurate history of Title IX, the most important law for U.S. women since women obtained the right to vote. 37 Words will fill that void. … By telling the stories of key characters across the history of Title IX to the present, 37 Words will help a broad audience of readers understand how they, too, play important roles in the future of Title IX and gender equity in education.” — Bernice Resnick Sandler