Black women remain underrepresented in higher education leadership roles, especially in the college presidency. Since the middle of the 20th century, women have emerged as leaders throughout every field of human endeavor; however, their rise to the college presidency remains slow and steady. The number of women college presidents has increased…

Often unrecognized for their accomplishments, women of color in educational leadership positions are change agents whose practices must be analyzed in order to transform education at all levels. Dr. Nadia Lopez is the founding principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy (MHBA) Middle School in Brownsville, New York City--one of the poorest…

Despite the rising number of African American community college women executives that have joined the ranks in higher education, understandings factors that impact their career advancement is inadequate. Consistent case studies that examined the perception of African American women leaders in community colleges are limited. The purpose of this…

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…

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine how principal supervisors who identify as Black develop Black principals in K-12 settings. The approaches generally include leadership activities, philosophies, and mentoring. This study will use a phenomenological approach, focusing on the lived experience of Black principal supervisors in…

Black community college presidents are not exempt from racialized experiences as they promote equitable student success. This study explores the unique experiences of Black leaders who advocate for policies, practices, and procedures that promote equity and social justice at their institutions and in their communities. Together, applied critical…

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…

Black women currently enroll in graduate school programs and earn doctoral degrees at higher rates than all other demographic groups in the United States. Nonetheless, Black women remain noticeably underrepresented in educational leadership positions in public education. Research explorations of Black women who lead in public education primarily…

This qualitative study investigates factors that influence the persistence of Black female principals of secondary charter schools. It examines the motivators that drive their commitment, the systems challenges that lead to thoughts of exiting their role, and recommendations for strategies that Charter Management Organizations (CMOs) can utilize…

Inner-city school systems serving marginalized populations around the world are hindered by undemocratic and anti-public, political forces given global neoliberalism. This paper highlights a three-year case study of community organizers' efforts to resist such forces and increase school access, equity, and local control in Detroit, MI (USA).…

The purpose of this qualitative, descriptive study was to explore how African American principals describe how they establish personal, interpersonal, communal, systemic, and ecological practices for social justice in schools in the southeastern region of the United States. Furman's social justice leadership as praxis model, centers on three…

Community leaders working in Black communities are faced with countless challenges yet require unique skills for which evidence-based training is often limited or difficult to find. The current study employed a mixed-methods approach using archival data to evaluate a promising and much needed neighborhood leadership program for Black community…

The purpose of this study was to examine, understand, and interpret the lived experiences of four African American male university presidents. Through phenomenological interviewing (Seidman, 2006), and grounded in critical race methodology (Peoples, 2020), the participants detailed their lived experiences through their respective journeys in…

The problem that was addressed through this study is the underrepresentation of African American women in higher education leadership positions in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore to what extent mentorship predicts the career advancement of African American women in higher education leadership positions in…

Structured from a qualitative research design, this meta-synthesis explored the lived experiences and perceptions women of color hold regarding their leadership within higher education. The purpose of the study was to generate understanding of said experiences and examine women of color leadership persistence within higher education, especially…