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Book part
Publication date: 22 November 2017

Gaëtane Jean-Marie and Tickles

Many Black women continue to negotiate their way within higher education institutions, which are influenced by social class, race, and gender biases. Several scholars contend that…

Abstract

Many Black women continue to negotiate their way within higher education institutions, which are influenced by social class, race, and gender biases. Several scholars contend that Black women’s objectification as the “other” and “outsider within” (Collins, 2000; Fitzgerald, 2014; Jean-Marie, 2014) is still apparent in today’s institutions yet many persist to ascend to top leadership positions (Bates, 2007; Epps, 2008; Evans, 2007; Hamilton, 2004; Jean-Marie, 2006, 2008). In particular, the inroads made by Black women administrators in both predominantly white colleges (PWIs) as well as historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) depict a rich and enduring history of providing leadership to effect social change in the African American community (i.e., uplift the race) and at large (Bates, 2007; Dede & Poats, 2008; Evans, 2007; Hine, 1994; Miller & Vaughn, 1997). There is a growing body of literature exploring Black women’s leadership in higher education, and most research have focused on their experiences in predominantly white institutions (Bower & Wolverton, 2009; Dixon, 2005; Harris, Wright, & Msengi, 2011; Jordan, 1994; Rusher, 1996; Turner, 2008). A review of the literature points to the paucity of research on their experiences and issues of race and gender continue to have an effect on the advancement of Black women in the academy. In this chapter, we examine factors that create hindrance to the transformation of the composition, structure, and power of leadership paradigm with a particular focus on Black women administrators and those at the presidency at HBCUs. From a review of the literature, our synthesis is based on major themes and subthemes that emerged and guide our analysis in this chapter. The chapter concludes with recommendations for identifying and developing Black women leaders to diversify the leadership pipeline at HBCUs and other institutions for the future.

Details

Black Colleges Across the Diaspora: Global Perspectives on Race and Stratification in Postsecondary Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-522-5

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Book part
Publication date: 27 November 2023

Katherine A. Karl, Joy V. Peluchette and Gail A. Dawson

Based on literature providing evidence that Afrocentric hairstyles (e.g. afros, braids, dreadlocks) of Black women working in professional settings are often associated with…

Abstract

Based on literature providing evidence that Afrocentric hairstyles (e.g. afros, braids, dreadlocks) of Black women working in professional settings are often associated with negative stereotypes and biases regarding competency and professionalism, this chapter examines the extent to which these biases may be influencing the hairstyle choices of Black women employed in higher education. While academic workplaces tend to be more flexible and informal than non-academic settings, we found many Black women in higher education are, nonetheless, choosing to wear Eurocentric hairstyles. However, choice of hairstyle was influenced by academic discipline, type of institution and level in the university hierarchy.

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The Emerald Handbook of Appearance in the Workplace
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-174-7

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Book part
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Valerie J. Thompson and D. Crystal Coles

Black women faculty are experiencing multiple marginalities within their intersectional identities (Thomas & Hollenshead, 2001). The overwhelming obstacles that they face in…

Abstract

Black women faculty are experiencing multiple marginalities within their intersectional identities (Thomas & Hollenshead, 2001). The overwhelming obstacles that they face in academia regarding racism, lack of mentorship, and its impact on productivity are well documented (Allen, Huggins-Hoyt, Holosko, & Briggs, 2018). However, through a raced and gendered intersection centering Black women, these workplace obstacles can transform into something far more insidious (Young & Hines, 2018). Black women academics do not enter academic environments that have been liberated from racism, sexism, or misogynoir; instead, the environment itself is a microcosm of the world in which they reside (Thompson, 2020). Black women academics are double minorities and face issues such as isolation from collegial networks; lack of institutional/departmental support; forced positionality into the role of mentorship for students of color; and increased visibility and bodily presentation concerns (Allen et al., 2018; Pittman, 2010). Further still, the workplace dynamics and needs of students of color can collide within the work of Black women academics, increasing the prevalence of othermothering and a racialized and gendered racial uplift (Griffin, 2013; Mawhinney, 2011). Though previous studies have demonstrated positive effects of university diversification, women, ethnic minorities, sexual minorities, and religious minorities continue to face antagonistic environments (Cunningham, 2009; Hughes & Howard-Hamilton, 2003). Rooted within Black Feminist Thought and Critical Race Theory, this chapter aims to highlight the intersectional identities of Black women academics and identifies mechanisms to address how Black women are experiencing multiple marginalities within their intersectional identities (Hirshfield & Joseph, 2012).

Book part
Publication date: 2 June 2022

Tomika Ferguson and Mahauganee Shaw Bonds

With heightened national attention placed on race and gender identity, the ability and preparedness of students to engage in critical conversations on such topics and with diverse…

Abstract

With heightened national attention placed on race and gender identity, the ability and preparedness of students to engage in critical conversations on such topics and with diverse groups is of much concern to educators. High school student-athletes are frequently thrust into the spotlight on topics related to race and racial identity, due to their hypervisibility and role as representatives of their schools. This chapter uses current events involving Black girl, high school, student-athletes to demonstrate how racialized and gendered experiences may shape how they understand themselves as well as their school and non-school environments. Further, this chapter includes a study that highlights the narratives of two Black female college athletes who, when prompted to discuss racialized and gendered experiences, shared stories that highlighted their primary and secondary educational experiences. These narratives identify school diversity and fitting in, and the coach as influencer as salient themes from the study. This illuminates the influence of early racialized encounters and the salience of those occurrences in shaping the way Black girls think about their own racial and gender identity development. In closing, this chapter calls on educators to prepare themselves to facilitate conversations about race through the use of equity audits, effective programming for Black girls, and a call for education advocates for Black girls in preK-12 environments.

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African American Young Girls and Women in PreK12 Schools and Beyond
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-532-0

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Book part
Publication date: 12 November 2018

Amanda Washington Lockett and Marybeth Gasman

This chapter focuses on the presence and accomplishments of Black women across the leadership spectrum within the context of historically Black colleges and universities.

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the presence and accomplishments of Black women across the leadership spectrum within the context of historically Black colleges and universities.

Details

Underserved Populations at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-841-1

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Article
Publication date: 1 February 1992

Linda Wade Everett, Courtney Ann Vaughn and Lola Aagaard

Deals with women at the level of educational administrators andoutlines interviews with 17 women, both black and white, pointing upaspects of colour, sexism, prejudice…

Abstract

Deals with women at the level of educational administrators and outlines interviews with 17 women, both black and white, pointing up aspects of colour, sexism, prejudice, discrimination, female stereotyping and male chauvinism, and incidentally exposing the degradation common to a large number of schools in the US. Highlights the responsibility of women administrators for the welfare of their students as opposed to that of incompetent teachers and assails the hitherto impregnable bastions of the traditional male leader.

Details

Women in Management Review, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0964-9425

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Book part
Publication date: 18 August 2011

April L. Peters

The field of education continues to become more diverse with respect to race and gender. Specifically, research on the educational and professional experiences of African American…

Abstract

The field of education continues to become more diverse with respect to race and gender. Specifically, research on the educational and professional experiences of African American and female scholars have increased (Cubillo & Brown, 2003; Philipsen, 2008; Wolfinger, Mason & Goulden, 2008; Wyche & Graves, 1992). With respect to the field of education, there are a few studies of women's experiences as faculty in educational leadership (Mertz, 2009; Sherman, Beatty, Crum, & Peters, 2010). However, there is a silence in research regarding the experiences of Black (African American) women faculty in the field of educational leadership/administration. The field of leadership is written typically by and for a mainstream, masculine audience. To this end, women and African Americans are “othered” in this discourse. This chapter examines the experiences of four African American female scholars in programs of educational leadership/administration.

Details

Women of Color in Higher Education: Turbulent Past, Promising Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-169-5

Book part
Publication date: 1 August 2023

Francemise S. Kingsberry and Gaëtane Jean-Marie

This chapter provides an analysis of the plight of African American women leaders as they journey to the superintendency. African American women remain largely underrepresented in…

Abstract

This chapter provides an analysis of the plight of African American women leaders as they journey to the superintendency. African American women remain largely underrepresented in the superintendency. Although the number of women superintendents has increased over the years, the superintendency remains a male-dominated field and African American women remain in the minority. Consequently, African American female superintendents must overcome many obstacles such as racial and gender stereotypes, caustic work environments, and restricted access to opportunities. Critical to dismantling the underrepresentation of women superintendents is the role of mentorship and hiring practices on the recruitment and retention of Black women superintendents. Mentorship is an essential strategy in weathering these barriers. African American women also deserve a voice in the hiring practices of school districts. Further, when marginalized groups, such as Black women, are placed at the center of hiring discourses, hidden paradigms and vestiges of discrimination will be unearthed to unify efforts to provide increased opportunity and positive workplace environments. These efforts have implications for research and practice in the area of mentorship and hiring to amplify the voices of African American women superintendents and presence in the superintendency.

Details

Leadership in Turbulent Times
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-198-6

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Kernysha L. Rowe

A recent study reported Black women are frequently labeled unprofessional due to hair presentation, 1.5 times more likely to be sent home citing “unprofessional hair,” and 80…

Abstract

A recent study reported Black women are frequently labeled unprofessional due to hair presentation, 1.5 times more likely to be sent home citing “unprofessional hair,” and 80% likely to alter their natural hair texture (Dove, 2019) through chemicals or heat to fit into organizational norms. Meanwhile, conversations about hair discrimination and bias remain whispers in The Ivory Tower. Despite this study, contemporary research regarding higher education and the politics of Black women, Black hair, and hair texture is sparse. The lack of representation in higher education organizations and lack of literature suggest that Black, higher education professional women are at risk of experiencing chilly work environments that could impact belonging, career trajectory, and earning potential. Some individuals outside the African Diaspora may consider the notion of a physical characteristic, like hair, to be insignificant, let alone a salient identity for Black women. However, my experience as a higher education practitioner and scholar states differently. I assert higher education institutions continue to perpetuate and reproduce oppressive dynamics that specifically target Black women and Black hair when hair discrimination and bias are left out of the conversation to address diversity and inclusion concerns. This chapter introduces a historical context of Black hair discrimination; explores my lived experiences navigating Black hair, hair texture, and professionalism in higher education; outlines challenges for higher education institutions and prioritizes Black women alongside diversity and inclusion efforts.

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2017

Natalie Bulick and Susan Frey

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on female faculty and administrators working in higher education, past and present.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on female faculty and administrators working in higher education, past and present.

Design/methodology/approach

Materials were selected based on scholarly impact and reputation of the author. Selections were then examined to assure varied perspectives and wide period coverage.

Findings

Throughout the past century, women have made tremendous strides in the pursuit of equity in the academic working environment. However, statistics and personal experiences indicate that much progress is still needed.

Research limitations/implications

This bibliography is limited to literature on working female faculty and administrators in the USA. It is intended to provide a broad overview of their past and present working conditions. Materials cover the Colonial period though the present. As such, a brief selection of materials available are included. Although there are much fewer resources that include the women of color experience, whenever possible materials are included. For the purpose of this review, the female student demographic is omitted. As there is a plethora of materials on this subject, it should be examined in a separate bibliography.

Originality/value

This bibliography provides students and scholars a brief introduction to research women in higher education which encompasses diverse voices, a wide historical range and contemporary materials.

Details

Reference Reviews, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0950-4125

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