Black women's leadership, persistence, and personal power

Black women are marginally represented in leadership positions at institutions of higher education in the United States. Black women in higher education leadership are confronted with microaggressions, stereotype threats, isolation, marginalization, and assumed incompetence, challenging their ability to persist in postsecondary service. The purpose of this research was to explore how Black women administrators at public colleges and universities in Florida have sustained their administrative roles and to evaluate whether their leadership persistence is upheld by personal power. The study is significant because the voices of a marginalized population are amplified, and insights into how Black women develop and leverage personal power to overcome internal and systemic barriers are provided. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was adopted for the research. Spearman’s rho correlational coefficient was used to test the hypothesis. The Diamond Power Index® (DPI) survey collected quantitative data and semi-structured interviews captured qualitative data. The sample included 68 Black female administrators in public colleges and universities in Florida.