The Perilous Experiences of Black Women in Higher Education Leadership Who Were Placed on the Glass Cliff
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7868636 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Theodore Wesley Johnson (University of Nebraska at Omaha, corresponding author), Ozalle M Toms (0000-0002-7912-8829, Blackburn College), Amaya M Gaines (0009-0006-2774-073X, Cornell University), Arlean Timmons (AID Atlanta) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 360-392 |
| Publication date | 2025-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of African American Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1559-1646 • E-ISSN: 1936-4741 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12111-025-09713-9 |
| OpenAlex | W4415906254 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 23 |
Black women remain acutely underrepresented in senior leadership roles within higher education, often experiencing precarious appointments during times of institutional instability—a phenomenon known as the “glass cliff.” While existing research addresses the barriers to leadership access, limited scholarship explores what happens once Black women assume these high-risk roles. This study asks, “What are the lived experiences of Black women in high-level leadership roles in higher education, and how do they describe navigating workplace cultures shaped by the intersections of race and gender?” Using narrative inquiry, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with five Black women who have held high-level academic leadership positions. Participants were recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Data were thematically analyzed using a five-step coding process, with multivocality and researcher reflexivity employed to ensure rigor. Findings revealed eight interrelated themes, including the impact of racial and gender identity on professional trajectories, limited mentorship and sponsorship, inequitable compensation, and persistent organizational cultures reflective of glass cliff conditions. Participants described feeling devalued, under-supported, and excluded from critical decision-making spaces. Despite these challenges, they demonstrated resilience and emphasized the importance of culturally affirming support systems, intentional recruitment practices, and transparent institutional cultures. This study contributes to higher education leadership literature by demonstrating how misogynoir and racialized organizational risk shape Black women’s leadership experiences post-appointment. The findings call for urgent structural reforms in recruitment, support, and retention strategies to ensure that Black women not only access leadership roles but are positioned to thrive within them
Black women · Educational leadership · Feeling · Higher education · Intersectionality · Leadership studies · Mentorship · Narrative · Qualitative research · Scholarship · Critical Race Theory in Education · Gender Diversity and Inequality · Mentoring and Academic Development
Misogynoir Transformed
Visible, invisible
First things first
Community is Key! Sense of Belonging among Black Women Undergraduate and Graduate Students and How They Cope
African American Women in the Workplace
Glass Cliffs and Organizational Saviors
Resilient Leadership
Failure is not an option for Black women
From Uncomfortable Squirm to Self-Discovery
Superwoman Schema
A Phenomenological Research Design Illustrated
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |