An Illustration of Hope: An Anti-Deficit Approach to Understand the Lived Experiences of Black Women Athletic Administrators

Being that Black women account for less than five percent of those who hold Assistant and Associate Athletic Director positions, their access to power, status, and influence within NCAA Division I (DI) athletics is limited. While Black women sport participation has increased, there are still limitations in gender and racial diversity amongst college sport leadership. Existing scholarship has highlighted and addressed these barriers. This study, however, implements an anti-deficit approach to examine the work experiences of Black women in college athletic leadership roles and focused on their supports and positive experiences. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (a) address and discuss the strategies and supports utilized to overcome any workplace barriers and (b) spotlight the positive experiences and advantages that this group’s identities provide within the workplace. To bolster the anti-deficit lens, intersectionality and Black Feminist Thought frameworks serve as the analytic framework. Using semi-structured interviews and participant surveys, the responses from ten (10) participants yielded five (5) themes: (a) credibility, (b) role model/representation, (c) communities of support, (d) mindset, and (e) moving with purpose.