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African American Women Superintendents

Leadership, Schooling, and Social Change

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The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Leadership and Management Discourse

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Abstract

African American women have always been in positions for formal and informal leadership. Yet, there has been a consistent underrepresentation of the African American women in the superintendency. Additionally, there has been the lack of published literature on the African American female superintendent. In the larger microculture, the lack representation of African American women that are actually in leadership positions is across the board in all organizations. There is still the lack of research on, about, and by African American women in leadership in general and more specifically African American women superintendents. For many who are African American women leaders, the call to leadership is deep and it does indeed represent the gospel or the “good news” that they have to share. Many heed the call to leadership because they are clear of the plans for and purposes of their lives as African American women. Their gospel is a gospel of education, liberation, and love. Using the Foucault lenses presence, memory, and concomitance, this chapter will illumine how the lived experiences of African American women superintendents can lead change and reconstruct theory and practice in the field of educational leadership.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dublin City Schools, Dublin, OH, USA

    Tonya Bailey

  2. Ashland University, Ashland, OH, USA

    Judy A. Alston

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  1. Tonya Bailey
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  2. Judy A. Alston
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Bailey, T., Alston, J.A. (2021). African American Women Superintendents. In: The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Leadership and Management Discourse. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39666-4_92-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39666-4_92-1

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-39666-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-39666-4

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