The Lived Experiences Of Black Female Leaders At An HBCU Whose Predecessors Are Non-Black Females

Author

Patricia Pearsall Williams, Prairie View A&M University

Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Education Leadership

Abstract

This study used a rigorous qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach to examine the lived experiences of eight Black female leaders at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in one of the following geographic regions in the United States: the South Atlantic, Eastern South Central, and West South Central (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). The leadership roles for this study included, but were not limited to, president, senior vice president, assistant provost, vice president, dean, executive director, director, assistant director, associate director, department head, manager, or supervisor.

By examining the essences, nuances, and differences of these experiences, the researcher aimed to understand how race, gender, leadership style, and the influence of their non-Black female predecessors shaped the organizational climate, for better or worse (Gilmore & Ronchi, 1995). The non-Black female predecessor included the racial categories defined in the U.S. Census Bureau (2022) report: Black males, White males and females, American Indian or Alaska Native males and females, Asian and Native Hawaiian males and females, or Other Pacific Islander males and females.

For this study, the researcher utilized the following theoretical frameworks: Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2022), Intersectionality (Collins & Bilge, 2022), and Leadership Transference (Ritter & Lord, 2007). These theories helped conceptualize the lived experiences of Black female leaders at an HBCU, focusing on the complexities of power relations and the social impact at the intersection of race, gender, and leadership. They also analyzed the positive and the negative legacies of non-Black female predecessors and their residual effects on organizational climate and culture (Blum, 2021).

The qualitative data analysis of the participants' responses revealed the following themes: Leadership Style, Gender Stereotypes, Challenges in Leadership Roles, Leadership Transition, Organizational Function, Surprises or Behaviors, Resistance and Organizational Culture, Non-cooperative Spaces, Perceptions of the Predecessor, and the Halo Effect of the Predecessor, Relationship-building and Adjustments.

Keywords: Black female leaders, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), non-Black female predecessors, Black female leaders and organizational impact, Black female leaders and personal impact

Committee Chair/Advisor

Stella Smith

Committee Member

Pamela Barber-Freeman

Committee Member

Patricia Hoffman-Miller

Committee Member

Carmen Carter

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

Date of Digitization

03/04/2026

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Williams, P. (2025). The Lived Experiences Of Black Female Leaders At An HBCU Whose Predecessors Are Non-Black Females. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-dissertations/133