Chapter 4: Perspectives on Leadership and Mentoring: An Examination of the Experiences of Black Women Community College Administrators

Although the volume of literature on Black women in higher education is constantly growing, the experiences of Black women community college administrators have not been well documented in research literature. Using qualitative inquiry, this study examines and documents the leadership and mentoring experiences of Black women who serve as community college administrators. The study is presented through a Black Feminist Thought lens, through which I discuss the intersection of racism, sexism, and identity in relation to perspectives on leadership and mentoring.

Black women are noticeably absent in administrative roles in the American higher education system. The Black women who are successful in securing administrative positions are disproportionally located in community colleges and are often faced with managing the intersection of gender, race, and power in a White male dominated arena (Davis & Maldonado, 2015; Lloyd-Jones, 2009; Patitu & Hinton, 2003). In addition to challenges and barriers associated with sexism and racism, Black women also struggle with feelings of isolation, being voiceless, undermined, and treated unfairly. Race and gender, in this way, play a salient role in the leadership identity, growth, character building, and ascension of Black women who serve as community college administrators (Collins, 2000; Davis & Maldonado, 2015; Lloyd-Jones, 2009). While there is a wealth of research conducted on women of color in the academy, there is a sparse amount of literature that reflects Black women community college administrator's leadership and mentoring experiences. The exclusion and lack of Black women voices from higher education scholarship represents a significant gap in the literature.