Date of Award

12-2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Discipline

Education Leadership

Abstract

Research reveals a longstanding tradition of leadership in higher education predominantly held by heterosexual White men despite the increased representation of women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals (Gagliardi et al., 2017; Jackson & Harris, 2005; Melidona et al., 2023; Moody, 2018; Titcomb, 2014; Waring, 2003). While the number of students and faculty members have grown over the last century and a half, the number of Black, women, or queer executive leaders in higher education has not shown a similar growth rate (Commodore et al., 2016; Gardner, 2019; Jackson & Harris, 2005; Melidona et al., 2023; Moody, 2018). Through the shared experiences of the four senior-level executive leaders who identify as queer Black women, this qualitative study examined intersectional experiences, career and workplace stressors, and opportunities for promotion to executive leadership for queer Black women in higher education. Using the conceptual framework Triple Jeopardy (Greene, 1998), this research was guided by the following research questions:

RQ1: What are the personal barriers for queer Black women leaders who hold or aspire to hold executive leadership positions in higher education?

RQ2: What are the career and workplace stressors experienced among queer Black women leaders who hold or aspire to hold executive leadership positions in higher education?

RQ3: What are the career development and mentorship resources that serve as pathways for queer Black women higher education leaders for promotion to Vice President, Provost, President, or Chancellor?

Each participant completed a questionnaire to determine eligibility, followed by semi-structured interviews to share their lived experiences as executive leaders in higher education. Transcription of the interviews and analysis of the data revealed the following themes: (1) Leading with Personal Authenticity: Identity, Social Identity, and Leadership, (2) Lead in Your Full Self: Intersectionality in the Workplace, (3) Equity Leadership: Belonging in the Workplace, (4) Diversity Requires Diverse Leadership, and (5) Find Your Tribe: Forge Support Relationships.

Equity in leadership is crucial to ensuring equitable access to education. Diverse leadership fosters confidence that all voices will be valued on campus. This study highlights the benefits of leading authentically and forging a community to navigate the stressors of executive leadership while existing in marginalized communities.

Keywords: Black, women, LGBTQ, executive leadership, education leadership, president, provost, chancellor, queer

Committee Chair/Advisor

Lisa K. Thompson

Committee Member

Fred A. Bonner, II

Committee Member

Anthony Harris

Committee Member

Elizabeth Whittington

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

© 2021 Prairie View A & M University

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Date of Digitization

10/25/2024

Contributing Institution

John B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

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