Intersections : Race, Gender, Organizational Culture and Leadership in Higher Education

African American women chief executives of institutions of higher education are few in number. Because they are both numerically underrepresented as leaders and highly visible, they are frequently characterized as "tokens" and thus more subject to racism that in turn creates a hostile environment. For the most part, African American leaders come into institutions with a set of cultural values--some of which may be antithetical to the values and norms of the organizational culture in which they must function. This antithesis is most visible within predominantly White institutions, but it exists also, in terms of gender and ethnicity, in all colleges and universities. How do these factors influence the way these leaders exercise leadership, perform their administrative duties and undertake decision-making and problem solving? This book explores the topic of African American women and leadership in higher education. It addresses the various dimensions of their presence in these institutions--how they enter, what happens when they arrive, and the future for African American leadership in this crucial enterprise. The contributors explore how factors such as race, gender, organizational culture and leadership intersect on college and university campuses to create an environment that can either support or hinder the progress of African American women. Through the lenses of personal narratives, new qualitative and quantitative research and theory, this book provides a unique picture of the status of African American leaders and would-be leaders in North American colleges and universities. Most important, these chapters all provide strategies to address what should be termed a crisis in leadership. This is a vital book for African Americans embarking on careers in higher education, for administrators with the desire to transform their institutions and for scholars of higher education. Contributors: V. Barbara Bush, University of North Texas; Consuelo Contreras, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Jerlando Jackson, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Barbara Johnson, University of New Orleans; Consuella Lewis, University of Pittsburgh; Jacqueline Mimms, University of California System; Leeshawn Cradoc-Moore, Claremont Graduate University; Yolanda T. Moses, President Emeritus, AAHE; Michael Nettles, Policy Research Center, Educational Testing Service; Leonard A. Williams, University of New Orleans.