Black Women in Leadership at American Community Colleges: Exploring Systemic Barriers and Racial Microaggressions

ABSTRACT Black women in leadership positions at American community colleges face persistent systemic barriers and racial microaggressions that impact their professional and personal well-being. This descriptive phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of Black women in leadership positions within American community colleges by examining their encounters with systemic barriers and racial microaggressions, the impact of these experiences on their mental and physical health, and the coping strategies that they employed to navigate these challenges and advance in their careers. Data were collected through an online survey of 25 participants, in-depth interviews with 12 Black women leaders holding positions ranging from faculty to president, and the Self-Anchoring Scale activity measuring their stress levels. The results of the interviews, the primary data source, revealed five major themes related to systemic barriers within the institution: institutional culture and climate, discrimination in hiring and promotion practices, institutional response to discriminatory practices, lack of representation of Blacks in leadership, and lack of institutional support and mentorship. Participants reported experiencing three types of racial microaggressions, namely, microassaults, microinsults, and microinvalidations, that resulted in significant physical and psychological impacts, including increased stress levels, hypervigilance, and changes in professional behavior. Despite these challenges, the participants demonstrated remarkable resilience through various coping strategies, including spirituality, professional documentation, self-advocacy, and support networks. The study concludes with recommendations for changes within the policy and practices of the institutions that include providing and implementing support networks and mentorship programs for Black women, all of which are aimed at addressing systemic barriers and racial microaggressions. These efforts are intended to foster more inclusive and equitable leadership environments within American community colleges. This research contributes to understanding how intersectionality and the intersecting identities of race, gender, and leadership roles shape the experiences of Black women in higher education and provides practical implications for institutional awareness and, ultimately, change.