ABSTRACT
When looking at the impact of Whiteness on African American women superintendents in K-12 public schools, the chilly climates they encounter in their journeys to and within the superintendency are often a lonely and a progressively more challenging one. Although women have occupied a significant portion of educational leadership programs and administrative positions, women have been underrepresented in the superintendency. This is further exacerbated when examining the experiences of African American women in the superintendency and executive level positions. In their pursuit, they encounter barriers relating to the intersection of race and gender, negative stereotypes, and limited opportunities and have to transcend these barriers to achieve success. Research on the African American superintendency remains nearly nonexistent. This work seeks to fill this gap in the literature. It also informs the hiring practices of school boards and the role that educational leadership professors can play in supporting and building mentoring relationships with prospective superintendents as well as current superintendents.
