The African American female superintendent: Barriers and facilitators to success

This study examines the leadership journey of school district superintendents from the lived experiences of African American females. Perceived barriers and facilitators to success were investigated to assess the impact they had on the journey to the superintendency for African American women. Although, the latest study of the American superintendency indicates there is an increase in the number of women who hold the position nationally, the representation of African American women continues to be reported at a low percentage. This study was guided by five research questions: (a) How do you describe your experiences on your journey to the superintendency? (b)) What are your perceptions on the role that race and gender play in the selection of African American women as superintendents? (c) What experiences do you perceive as facilitators to success in the role of superintendent? (d) What experiences do you perceive as barriers to attainment of the role of superintendent? and (e) What strategies have you identified as best practices for the recruitment and retention for aspiring African American women as superintendents? To examine these questions, a basic qualitative case study was conducted with 17 African American female superintendents from various locations across the United States. The African American females were questioned about their perceptions of what may impact the low representation of African American women in the superintendency and their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators that have been reported in past research. The results indicated that although the African American females experienced racism and sexism on their journey, they did not let this deter them from pursuing the position. The results also indicated the positive impact of family and mentorship support. Furthermore, the results indicated the low representation of the African American female rests on the motivation level of the African American female. The respondents expressed that many of the barriers are true, but African American females must prepare, position, and pursue the superintendency and not let the perceived barriers, race, or gender hinder their pursuit of fulfilling their dream.