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In February 2018, a high school girls water polo team was practicing in the ocean, dodging coral and foot-high waves because their school couldn't — or wouldn't — get them pool time. Seeing the boys sports teams getting support they didn’t have, they complained to administrators.

When those pleas went ignored, the girls did something that ultimately changed the lives of women across the United States: They sued. In Long Lead's new feature TITLE WAVES, Kim Cross tells the stories of how two Hawaiian women leveled the playing field for women in education.

Trailblazing congresswoman from Hawaii Patsy Mink — who authored Title IX — and Ashley Badis — a Honolulu water polo player with a rocket arm who simply wanted her school to play by the rules — both fought for women's equality 50 years apart.

Of the federal laws protecting women’s rights, Title IX is among the strongest and most enduring. Told at a time when the political tide has turned against this landmark law, Mink and Badis’ stories are a reminder of the sacrifices — and gains — made by generations of tenacious women.