Abstract
This paper explores the intersection of race, gender, and cultural identity through the lived experiences of Black women in mid- to senior-level leadership positions in higher education. Drawing on ethnographic methods and cultural studies frameworks, the study investigates how mentorship operates as a culturally grounded practice that supports the navigation of systemic barriers, imposter syndrome, and microaggressions in predominantly white institutional spaces. Using in-depth interviews, this research uncovers the implicit cultural knowledge Black women leaders must harness to succeed while negotiating multiple, and often conflicting, social identities. The project situates mentorship not simply as a professional tool but as a culturally situated practice of resistance, affirmation, and intergenerational empowerment. It highlights the structural and cultural tensions that shape Black women’s leadership experiences, including expectations of emotional labor, racialized institutional cultures, and the politics of visibility and credibility. This work contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues in cultural studies, feminist theory, and organizational sociology. It frames mentorship as a dynamic cultural process where identity, belonging, and leadership coalesce. In doing so, it challenges normative leadership paradigms and broadens our understanding of how cultural meaning is produced and contested within institutional contexts.
Presenters
Kimberly ColcloughProfessor of Africana Studies, CUNY - City University of New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
BLACK WOMEN, FEMINIST CULTURAL STUDIES
