A Narrative Study of Intersectionality and the Lived Experiences of Black Woman Superintendents

According to The American Superintendent 2020 Decennial Study, only 1.4% of respondents who hold the superintendent position identify as Black women (Tienken & Domenech, 2021). This percentage has remained under 2.2% for 20 years, though the percentage of white women and non-Black women of color has increased. Current research indicates that Black women have historically been exploited and undervalued at work, with exploitation extending as far back as American slavery, and being undervalued stemming from manufactured stereotypes of Black women for the purpose of sustaining white supremacy. Present-day research indicates that Black woman superintendents perceive their path and role as different from that of their white and male counterparts. To explore these phenomena qualitatively, the researcher used two frameworks: Crenshaw’s (1989) Intersectionality framework, specifically the intersectionality of race and gender; and Collins’s (1990) Black feminism framework. Nine Black woman superintendents were interviewed to explore their lived experiences, barriers, and perceived challenges. The study also explored the triple consciousness Black woman superintendents navigate to carry out their roles successfully. Through questionnaires and semistructured interviews, participants expressed their experiences and perspectives, revealing three major themes: Race and Gender, Internalized Oppression, and Spirituality. All (100%) of the participants named that race- and gender-based oppression impacted their path to the superintendency and impacted them in a greater way once in the role. The intersectionality of race and gender shows up in myriad ways: microaggressions, misogyny, the glass cliff, and personal attacks. From this research, the researcher gathered that race and gender are deeply ingrained beliefs that present systemically in the education leadership hiring process. This research offers evidence-based recommendations to be approached in three phases: awareness of xi the problem, unconscious bias training, and policy and practice change. Research has suggested that these steps in isolation do not yield the change we desire, but together, these tools can reduce implicit bias and have a proven effective (Atewologun et al., 2018).