This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of Black women employed in senior-level Division I NCAA football bowl subdivision (FBS) intercollegiate athletic administration. The study answers two research questions to understand how Black women in FBS athletics perceive their intersecting identities as influencing their career experiences…

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…

School discipline is a significant educational policy and equity issue in K-12 education in the United States due to well-documented racial inequality in students' disciplinary outcomes and the deleterious effects of exclusionary discipline on academic and adult outcomes. The roles and approaches of school leaders in the production of racial…

In an era of heightened anti-Black racism and aspirations of equity in education, equity directors are at the vanguard of district efforts to eradicate educational injustices. This study examined how the racialized and gendered organizational contexts of U.S. equity directors shaped their equity leadership to transform educational systems. Drawing…

Background/Context: Progressive human resources thinking has suggested the importance of employee experiences for workforce engagement, inclusion, and retention, but the intentional design of positive employee experiences requires a deep understanding of workers' lived experiences in order to respond to their differentiated needs. Although the…

This study utilized a basic qualitative design and Burns's transformational leadership theory, Crenshaw's intersectionality theory, and Collins's Black feminist theory to examine African American women in senior academic leadership positions at predominantly White institutions (PWIs) who have experienced gender, racial, and/or organizational bias…

Students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds face negative perceptions about their academic potential (Smith, C. A. (2005). School factors that contribute to the underachievement of students of color and what culturally competent school leaders can do. "Educational Leadership and Administration: Teaching and Program…

In 2020, the United States experienced twin pandemics disproportionately impacting BIPOC communities and their schools and school systems--one new, COVID-19, and one longstanding, that of white supremacy and anti-Black racism. This phenomenological study of 20 Black female principals in two states provides insights into how these leaders, who so…

This case describes how, after being hired by a large urban school district in the southern United States, a Black male superintendent's relationship with his stakeholders deteriorated due to disagreements about his equity-based leadership approach. Three incidents occurred during his tenure, which he believed to be racially motivated. Yet, the…

African-American women face substantial career barriers when seeking ascension to educational leadership. Numerous factors contribute to career advancement barriers, such as systemic, institutional challenges, organizational factors, personality, and individual contributors. Various systemic and managerial aspects, directly and indirectly, were…

Since their early days, community colleges have maintained a pivotal role as a provider of education to the diverse populations they serve. Over the years, these institutions of higher learning have been tasked with expanding access to education to those who had been denied even the possibility on the basis of race, economic stability, and a host…

African Americans have faced many challenges in higher education over the course of time, especially in leadership at Predominately White Institutions. To increase the ability for minorities to service is prominent positions Diversity, equity, and inclusion must be present. When comparing the percentage of race and gender leadership positions such…

Black resident assistants' experiences are shaped by race and racism. Previous research highlights the unique challenges that Black RAs encounter, such as isolation and hypervisibility, racial stereotypes, and unfair treatment from white supervisors. Most of this research is, however, located within predominantly white institutions (PWIs). As the…

There seems to be "open season" on the lives of young, unarmed African American men and women in the United States. Stand Your Ground law/Castle Doctrine has become the tool of legal lynching in the United States. Across varied and diverse communities, leaders are grappling with this phenomenon with a sense of urgency. This qualitative…

The study reveals the barriers and challenges of African Americans during their ascendancy to senior-level leadership roles. The study addresses the problem of racism and white privilege in higher education institutions related to the underrepresentation of African Americans in senior-level positions, specifically in Washington State community and…