Black Women Superintendents

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Douglass Horsford ◽  
Dessynie D. Edwards ◽  
Judy A. Alston
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Education Leadership ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Women Superintendents ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
K 12

Research on Black women superintendents has focused largely on their racial and gendered identities and the challenges associated with negotiating the politics of race and gender while leading complex school systems. Regarding the underrepresentation of Black female superintendents, an examination of Black women’s experiences of preparing for, pursuing, attaining, and serving in the superintendency may provide insights regarding their unique ways of knowing and, leading that, inform their leadership praxis. Informed by research on K-12 school superintendency, race and gender in education leadership, and the lived experiences and knowledge claims of Black women superintendents, important implications for future research on the superintendency will be hold. There exists a small but growing body of scholarly research on Black women education leaders, even less on the Black woman school superintendent, who remains largely underrepresented in education leadership research and the field. Although key studies have played an important role in establishing historical records documenting the service and contributions of Black women educational leaders in the United States, the bulk of the research on Black women superintendents can be found in dissertation studies grounded largely in the works of Black women education leadership scholars and practitioners. As a growing number of aspiring and practicing leaders who identify as Black women enter graduate-level leadership preparation programs and join the ranks of educational administration, questions concerning race and gender in leadership are almost always present as the theories presented in leadership preparation programs often conflict with or represent set of perspectives, realities, and strategies that may not align with those experienced by leaders who identify as Black women. For these reasons, their leadership perspectives, epistemologies, and contributions are essential to our understanding of the superintendency and field of educational leadership.

scholarly journals I’m Every Woman: Advancing the Intersectional Leadership of Black Women School Leaders as Anti-Racist Praxis

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 7-28
Author(s):  
April L. Peters ◽  
Angel Miles Nash
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
The United States ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Leadership Framework ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Resisting Oppression ◽  
Epistemological Basis

The rallying, clarion call to #SayHerName has prompted the United States to intentionally include the lives, voices, struggles, and contributions of Black women and countless others of her ilk who have suffered and strived in the midst of anti-Black racism. To advance a leadership framework that is rooted in the historicity of brilliance embodied in Black women’s educational leadership, and their proclivity for resisting oppression, we expand on intersectional leadership. We develop this expansion along three dimensions of research centering Black women’s leadership: the historical foundation of Black women’s leadership in schools and communities, the epistemological basis of Black women’s racialized and gendered experiences, and the ontological characterization of Black women’s expertise in resisting anti-Black racism in educational settings. We conclude with a four tenet articulation detailing how intersectional leadership: (a) is explicitly anti-racist; (b) is explicitly anti-sexist; (c) explicitly acknowledges the multiplicative influences of marginalization centering race and gender, and across planes of identity; and (d) explicitly leverages authority to serve and protect historically underserved communities.

scholarly journals Balancing race, gender, and responsibility: Conversations with four black women in educational leadership in the United States of America

2021 ◽  
pp. 174114322199183
Author(s):  
Natasha N Johnson
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
United States Of America ◽  
Hermeneutic Phenomenology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Women's Leadership ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender

This article focuses on equitable leadership and its intersection with related yet distinct concepts salient to social justice pertinent to women and minorities in educational leadership. This piece is rooted and framed within the context of the United States of America, and the major concepts include identity, equity, and intersectionality—specific to the race-gender dyad—manifested within the realm of educational leadership. The objective is to examine theory and research in this area and to discuss the role they played in this study of the cultures of four Black women, all senior-level leaders within the realm of K-20 education in the United States. This work employed the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology, focusing on the intersecting factors—race and gender, specifically—that impact these women’s ability and capability to perform within the educational sector. The utilization of in-depth, timed, semi-structured interviews allowed participants to reflect upon their experiences and perceptions as Black women who have navigated and continue to successfully navigate the highest levels of the educational leadership sphere. Contributors’ recounted stories of navigation within spaces in which they are underrepresented revealed the need for more research specific to the intricacies of Black women’s leadership journeys in the context of the United States.

Black Women's Labor Market Status: Occupational Segregation in the United States and Great Britain

1995 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary C. King
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Occupational Segregation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Market Situation ◽  
Labor Market Dynamics ◽  
And Gender

An initial exploration of the comparative labor market situation of black women in the United States and Great Britain reveals that race and gender play similar roles in allocating people among broad occupations in both nations despite differences in historical circumstances. However, a closer examination based upon measures of occupational segregation shows that labor market dynamics are quite different. Public employment and education do not reduce racial segregation in Britain as they do in the United States, and the immigrant status of many black Britons does not explain these differences. Only youth is associated with reduced segregation in both countries.

scholarly journals Child’s Developmental Disabilities and Parental Health in Later Life: Do Parental Race and Gender Matter?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 312-313
Author(s):  
Juha Lee ◽  
Manjing Gao ◽  
Chioun Lee
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Early Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Parental Health ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Groups ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Parents, particularly mothers, who experienced early life adversities (ELAs) are more likely to have a child with developmental disabilities (DD). We have little knowledge about how parental health varies across race-gender groups among those with a DD child and the role of ELAs in the associations. Using Black and White adults (n = 8,778; 25% Blacks) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, we examine racial disparities in the impact of having a child with DD (vs. having healthy children) on parental health outcomes. This study questions (1) the extent to which parents’ ELAs (e.g., poverty and abuse) are associated with having a child with DD and (2) how considering early-life factors reveals racial and gender disparities in the impact of having a child with DD. We found that as the number of ELAs increases, the probability of having a healthy child decreases for all race-gender groups, but most dramatically for Black women. Having a DD has adverse effects on chronic illnesses and functional limitations more for mothers than fathers. Black women are most adversely affected, with no effect on Black men. There is no gender difference in the impact of having a DD child on depressive symptoms, yet White parents are more vulnerable than Black parents. After controlling for ELAs, the adverse effects of having a DD child on both physical and mental health remain significant. Future research should identify life-course circumstances that reveal why the impact of having a DD child varies by race and gender.

Unpacking Black Women Superintendents’ Experiences: Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Resiliency

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francemise S. Kingsberry ◽  
Gaëtane Jean-Marie
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Women Superintendents ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Gender And Race ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender

In keeping with the special issue centered on Gender and Race in the Workplace, this article explores the role that the intersection of race and gender played in the attainment of the superintendency for four Black women superintendents. Despite their increasing presence in educational leadership, Black women continue to experience marginalization such as being overworked, undervalued, and overlooked in the workplace. By examining the barriers these women faced as well as the ways in which they overcame them, much can be weaned from their wisdom and experiences for future aspirants as well as current superintendents. This article highlights the journeys of four Black women superintendents which underscores their intersectionality experiences drawing upon their resilience to achieve success. Their stories, especially in light of the increasingly violent and racially charged settings in which they find themselves, are necessary and deserve a voice. The findings have implications for research and practice.

Double and Triple Binds: How Status, Gender, and Race Influence the Work of State Prekindergarten Leaders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlin Northey
Keyword(s):  
Social Role ◽  
The United States ◽  
White Female ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Female Leaders ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
The Status ◽  
Twelfth Grade ◽  
And Gender ◽  
K 12

This paper examines how state prekindergarten (PreK) leaders in the United States believe their gender, race, and the status of the field influenced their work experiences. Qualitative methods were used to collect data from 10 state PreK leaders through two semistructured interviews. Leaders worked in different states and the majority identified as female (80%) and White/non-Hispanic (60%). Analysis of the data revealed the status of PreK and the ECE field as “less than” in comparison with the kindergarten through twelfth grade (K–12) education system affected the work of all participating PreK leaders. White female leaders experienced a double bind due to their gender and the status of the field, leading them to conform to gender and social role stereotypes to avoid backlash. BIPOC PreK leaders experienced various instances of gendered racism and for one female BIPOC leader this resulted in a triple bind, as the intersections of the field’s status and her race and gender presented additional challenges. While leaders tried to navigate these different binds successfully, there were unintentional consequences: Male leaders enjoyed privilege that further marginalized female PreK leaders; White female leaders’ decisions to conform with stereotypes reinforced the status of ECE; and a BIPOC female leader replicated challenges for BIPOC individuals in an effort to protect herself. For the ECE field to advance its equity goals and increase its professional standing, state ECE leaders need specific training to address their implicit biases, strengthen their own professional ECE identities, and advocate a unified ECE profession across auspices.

Passing the Baton

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cat M. Ariail
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Civil Rights Movement ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Gender Expectations ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
And Gender

In the post–World War II period, nations and territories used international sport to codify and communicate their ideal citizenries. For the United States, black women who competed in track and field complicated these efforts. This book analyzes the ideological influence of black women track stars, examining how they destabilized dominant ideas about race, gender, sexuality, and national identity. The strivings and successes of black American track women, such as Alice Coachman, Mae Faggs, and Wilma Rudolph, at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events from 1948 to 1962 repeatedly forced white and black sport cultures in the United States to wrestle with the meaning of black women’s athleticism. Both white and black sport cultures struggled to fit black women athletes into their respective visions for the postwar American nation, reflecting and reinforcing how the Cold War, civil rights movement, and their intersection encouraged broader reconfigurations of the racial, gender, and sexual associations of ideal American identity. Ultimately, these American sport cultures marshaled racialized gender expectations to contain the threat that black women track stars embodied, interpreting and reinterpreting the meaning of their athletic efforts in ways that bolstered established hierarchies of race and gender.

Invisible Visits

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina K. Sacks
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Middle Class ◽  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
The United States ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Exam Room ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender

Although the United States spends almost one-fifth of all its resources on funding healthcare, the American system is dogged by persistent inequities in the treatment of racial and ethnic minorities and women. Invisible Visits analyzes how Black women navigate the complexities of dealing with doctors in this environment. It challenges the idea that race and gender discrimination, particularly in healthcare settings, is a thing of the past. In telling the stories of Black women who are middle class, Invisible Visits also questions the persistent myth that discrimination only affects racial minorities who are poor. In so doing, Invisible Visits expands our understanding of how Black middle-class women are treated when they go to the doctor and why they continue to face inequities in securing proper medical care. The book also analyzes the strategies Black women use to fight for the best treatment and the toll that these adaptations take on their health. Invisible Visits shines a light on how women perceive the persistently negative stereotypes that follow them into the exam room and makes the bold claim that simply providing more cultural competency or anti-bias training to doctors is insufficient to overcome the problem. For Americans to really address these challenges, we must first reckon with how deeply embedded discrimination is in our prized institutions, including healthcare. Invisible Visits tells the story of Black women in their own words and forces us to consider their experiences in the context of America’s fraught history of structural discrimination.

Exploring Black Girls’ Subversive Literacies as Acts of Freedom

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 456-481
Author(s):  
Lauren Leigh Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Black Women ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Black Girls ◽  
Racial Equity ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Consciousness Development ◽  
History Of ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Young Black Women

Research on Black girls’ and women’s literacies reveals how they utilize literacy practices to resist oppression and define their identities. Yet, these practices are frequently absent from or marginalized in formalized schooling spaces. In addition, Black girlhood is rarely placed at the center of equity interventions in schools. As the history of activism in the United States is tied to Black women’s struggles for freedom, research and practice involving racial equity must be attentive to the literacies and activism of Black girls. Grounded in Black feminist theory, this article describes a longitudinal study of the critical consciousness development of two young Black women as they engaged in distinct literacy practices to navigate and resist racial oppression in high school. The author analyzes interviews as well as literacy artifacts to explore how these girls enacted critical, digital, and subversive literacies to challenge intersecting oppressions of race and gender in a predominantly White, suburban school.

School Leadership Preparation in Mexico: Metacultural Considerations

2005 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles L. Slater ◽  
Mike Boone ◽  
Linda Muñoz ◽  
Melinda Base ◽  
Leticia Romero Grimaldo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Leadership Preparation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Intercultural Understanding ◽  
Preparation Programs ◽  
Cultural Understanding ◽  
School Directors ◽  
New Meanings

Levels of cultural understanding can be applied to leadership and research. Intracultural understanding is self-contained within one culture. Cross-cultural understanding extends from one culture to another. Intercultural understanding recognizes implications for one's own culture. Metacultural understanding extends beyond one's own and others’ culture to create entirely new meanings. This study examines an educational administration program in Mexico using researchers from a multicultural team. School directors and those in higher education participated in focus groups to examine the preparation Mexican leaders receive, the challenges they face, and the implications for preparation programs. These issues are significant in Mexico, and have implications for the United States and other countries.

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