Intersectionality and the leadership of Black women superintendents

While there has been an increase in the research related to the history and evolution of Black women’s role as leaders in education in the United States since the late 1980s, there is a lack of studies that address the perceptions, and duality of the unique barriers and challenges that Black women superintendents are confronted with in their leadership careers. Through in-depth recorded interviews of selected Black women superintendents, this study, based on a phenomenological narrative design, examined the intersectionality of race and gender in participants’ leadership experiences, focusing on interactions with school boards, local communities, professional networks, and district personnel. Black Feminist Thought was utilized as a theoretical framework to support this research. This framework provided an opportunity for Black women to relate their own stories, helping to fill a void of knowledge of the lives and behaviors of these women, long cited by scholars of educational leadership. The research question was as follows: How has the intersectionality of race and gender impacted the leadership experiences of Black women superintendents?

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2021

Author dc:creator

• Mason, Barbara E. Suggs

Contributors dc:contributor

• Roegman, Rachel
• Welton, Anjale
• Herrmann, Mary
• Neville, Helen

• intersectionality
• Black women
• superintendents
• Black Feminist Thought

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2021 Barbara Mason

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/110552

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/110552