Behind the veil: Experiences and persistence strategies of Black women in academic leadership at predominately and historically white institutions

Abstract

Despite literature emphasizing the importance of their leadership on college campuses, African American women serving in senior-level academic leadership on both predominately and historically white campuses are severely underrepresented in these roles in higher education. The chief academic officer role is charged with the development, implementation, oversight, and assessment of all academic programs and policies at the college and advises the president on all academic matters. The chief academic officer plays a critical, primary role in institutional planning and operations. As campus student demographics grow more diverse, the demographics of executive leadership positions are not diversifying anywhere near the same rate. Yet African-American women’s lived experiences and leadership approaches have much to offer in serving diverse campuses. This narrative inquiry study explored the lived experiences of African American women serving in senior-level academic leadership positions at predominately and historically white community colleges and the persistence strategies they employ to find success and joy in their work. This study highlights some of their key experiences and ways of leading in these powerful roles. I chose a qualitative methodology, specifically, narrative inquiry and Black feminist theory, to collect and analyze data from this small population. Their narrative stories revealed the women’s realities, challenges, strengths, and resilience, as they self-defined how they persisted and found success in their intellectual leadership roles.