Bernice (Resnick) Sandler was born in 1928 in New York to Jewish immigrant parents from Russia and Germany. She graduated from Brooklyn College in 1948, which was at that time the first public liberal arts college in New York City. She then received a Master’s degree from the City College of New York. In both of her degree programs, she was one of the first women admitted. This became an experience that would lead to her future career.
When Bernice married, she was employed in a series of jobs below her talent level, primarily because her husband moved frequently to pursue better job opportunities. She had hoped to pursue a doctorate but was regularly rejected for “invented” reasons (e.g., a quota on women her age). She was finally able to obtain an Ed.D. degree from the University of Maryland.
After graduation, she applied for a number of academic positions but was again rejected. She turned her rejection into a career of advocacy for women. She joined the Women’s Equity Action League (WEAL) and headed the effort to enforce federal contract compliance as it related to hiring practices. She was also engaged in supporting the U.S. House committee examining gender discrimination within educational institutions.
When she discovered an Executive Order signed by President Lydon Johnson, she saw an opportunity to make a real difference for women. The executive order focused on equal opportunity in employment regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin. President Johnson later amended the executive order to include gender.
This gave Bernice the opportunity to use her position at WEAL to file class-action lawsuits against educational institutions. While the lawsuits were useful in bringing attention to the discrimination against women, enforcement was still lacking.
Bernice then turned to Congress to ensure that enforcement became a priority. Working with Representatives Edith Green (Oregon), Patsy Mink (Hawaii), and Senator Birch Bayh (Indiana), they were able to gain passage of Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments. The legislation was signed by President Nixon with little notice.
Title IX has become one of the most influential acts of the U.S. Congress in the past 50 years. Its impact is still being felt today. Bernice is remembered as the Godmother of Title IX for her career-long advocacy against gender discrimination.
Bernice passed away in 2019 at 90.
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“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”–The Words of Title IX