Rearticulating the Leadership Experiences of African American Women in Midlevel Student Affairs Administration

Abstract

This qualitative study of African American women holding midlevel administrative positions sought to broaden and challenge conceptualizations of leadership by focusing on respondents’ descriptions of their leadership experiences. Findings centered principally on the intensely relational qualities associated with leadership and leading, mentoring and supervising, and the off-campus nature of most sources for professional support and validation. Tenets of Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000) were used to analyze aspects of respondents’ experiences in light of controlling images of Black women, resistance strategies, and empowerment for activism. Implications for research and practice include further explorations of culturally informed meanings of leadership and leading, as well as coming to broader understandings of professionals’ myriad definitions and fulfillment of leadership.