Why we carry on

At such a perilous time for this nation and the world, it sometimes seems frivolous to post about basketball. But we carry on. Here’s why.

Those who seek to drag American society back to an imaginary past often portray the women’s movement as cynically contrived, throwing society dangerously out of balance.

The history of women’s basketball, however, shows that generations of American women have both delighted in vigorous competition and seen sports as an integral component of efforts to raise women’s social status.

Turn-of-the-century college students preparing to be teachers and social workers; high schoolers inspired by the advent of female suffrage; Black women dedicated to community uplift; eager participants in women’s liberation – all drew on sporting experiences as they pursued expanded ambitions.

Telling and retelling their stories of strength, joy and determination is vital to a full understanding of our nation’s past, especially at a time when powerful leaders seek to roll back women’s gains and to rewrite their history.

So we’ll keep doing it.