COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Stella Smith

TITLE: THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF BLACK FEMALE LEADERS AT AN HBCU WHOSE PREDECESSORS ARE NON-BLACK FEMALES

ABSTRACT: This study uses 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, which includes the South Atlantic, Eastern South Central, and West South Central (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.). These leadership roles for this study include, but are 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 shape the organizational climate, for better or worse (Gilmore & Ronchi, 1995). The non-Black female predecessor could include any of the racial categories defined in the U.S. Census Bureau 2022 report, including 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 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). 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 will help conceptualize the lived experiences of Black female leaders at an HBCU as they relate to the complexities of power relations and the social impact at the intersection of race, gender, and leadership. They will also analyze the legacy—both positive and negative—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 that emerged: 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, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), non-Black female predecessors, organizational impact, personal impact

Location Online:

Zoom Link: https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/99073249131?pwd=5DdxkZtwrY2azJXw1hhAysdkXEjAFH.1

Meeting ID: 990 7324 9131

Passcode: 126065