Individual, Family, and Community Education ETDs

Publication Date

Summer 7-29-2022

Abstract

Research exploring the lived experiences of Black womxn as leaders in national academic professional organizations is absent. The goal of this dissertation was to explore Black womxn’s unique personal and academic experiences while holding national leadership roles in professional academic organizations. Using Critical Race Theory (Haskins & Singh, 2015), Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2010), and Leadership Identity Development Model (Komives et al., 2006, 2009), this constructivist grounded theory (Charmaz, 2006, 2014) sought to answer following research questions: (1) How do Black womxn experience leadership in their roles as board members within a national academic professional organization? (a) What is the process of leadership development for Black womxn in national academic professional organizations? (b) How salient are mentorship experiences, academic requirements, or personal circumstances in the decisions to take on leadership roles? (c) In what ways do national academic professional organizations impact Black Womxn in their academic roles? Utilizing semi-structured interviews Twenty-Two Black womxn participated in this study. Findings suggest Black womxn first identify as leaders as young girls who learn leadership skills from their matriarchal grandmothers, mothers, and sisters. Participant quotes, research themes, and a proposed model of Black Womxn Leadership Identity is included. Implications for counseling theory and practice, counselor education and supervision, and future research have been provided.

Keywords

Black, Womxn, Leadership, Counselor Education

Document Type

Dissertation

Language

English

Degree Name

Counselor Education

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Individual, Family, and Community Education

First Committee Member (Chair)

Kristopher Goodrich

Second Committee Member

Thomas A. Chavez

Third Committee Member

Assata Zerai

Fourth Committee Member

Henrietta Williams Pichon

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