African American women in higher education have faced challenges as they have sought to advance to a senior-level position. The literature demonstrates that African American woman has been confronted with racial bias. African American women have been described as too emotional to hold positions of authority or senior-level positions. Some…

Black women leaders in higher education grapple with their double identities in the workplace which leads to unique challenges and obstacles. Black women leaders in higher education face situations and circumstances in leadership different than their white male and women counterparts and Black men. Dealing with both racism and sexism, Black women…

My dissertation is unique and contributes to the academic literature because it explores the barriers that retired and current African American women face while pursuing and working in higher education leadership roles in Arkansas. Using a narrative inquiry design, I interviewed 17 retired and working leaders by asking them to share their personal…

For higher education to be responsive to the changing national and student population, its leadership must be "reflective of the world around it, (which) will be key to managing the challenges of today and the unknown challenges of tomorrow" (American Council on Education, 2017, para. 4). Unfortunately, despite the increasing diversity…

Christian African American women in leadership have unique lived experiences. Although God calls women to lead, they often meet challenges in ministry and the marketplace. Developing into a great woman in leadership requires intentionality and preparation. This study explored the perceptions and perspectives of Christian African American women in…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of gender and racial microaggressions and how those experiences impact work engagement from the perspective of the Black woman higher education administrator. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 Black women with current professional mid- or senior-level administrative positions…

The purpose of this qualitative study aimed to explore the intersectionality for Black females through their experiences as leaders in academia. This research study was conducted to examine how four Black female leaders described the influences of race and gender on their leadership development in academia. A general qualitative approach was…

By framing the phenomenon of resilience around adverse, harmful experiences and drawing a direct relation to positive outcomes, society desensitizes Black Women to the scale of the adversities they face and ignores the magnitude of psychological stress they have had to endure as a means of survival. The praise and reinforcement associated with…

This qualitative study examines the lived experiences of Black women in higher education executive leadership. The study examines how gendered racial stereotypes contribute to the barriers faced by Black women in reaching executive leadership positions in academia using an ethnographic methodology. Black female executive leaders in higher…

This qualitative study examines how Black women mid-level leaders navigate the superwoman schema. The findings extend Woods-Giscombe's (2010) work by exploring the schema's impact on Black women working in mid-level leadership administrative positions at HWIs. A descriptive phenomenological study was employed to understand and describe the lived…

This qualitative study investigates the glass cliff phenomenon in relation to Black women in senior administration in higher education. This research explores the motivation of Black women who accept these roles and the ways in which they use of different types of cultural capital to navigate these positions. Using data drawn from the interviews…

Black feminist thought (BFT) was used in this study to explore the lived experiences of tenured black women counselor educators at historically White institutions. The study employed BFT to understand better how they positively navigated their experiences. The analysis identified three primary themes and nine subthemes, exemplifying how Black…

The objective of this single-class activity is to get students to make connections between Eurocentric standards of communication and African American Vernacular English (AAVE) through a womanist rhetorical lens. This activity sheds light on how professional, academic, and corporate communicative spaces tend to deflect and reject Black people…

Although notably underrepresented in role and research, Black women bring a strong presence to higher education institutions--leading academic, research, and business operations from senior and executive roles. Black women senior leaders serve as change agents strategically leading their organizations to become better, stronger, and more effective…

Anti-Blackness in the academy has the potential to negatively impact relationships between Black Women, which can ultimately influence Black women's retention and career advancement. Through an analysis of existing theories, including workplace friendships, Black feminist thought, and critical race theory, the authors first interrogate how…