Issues Surrounding Black American Women Today

Challenges Faced by African American Women in Executive Positions

African American women, in the course of seeking executive positions in organizations dominated by whites, often face restrictions. They consistently encounter discrimination based on their racial and gender identities. According to Cain (2015), women made up only 16% of the executive positions in corporate organizations in the United States in 2014. In that same year, only 5.3% of these positions were held by Black American women. This disparity is concerning. Even though the number of women in these roles is gradually rising, white individuals, particularly men, continue to dominate these positions. This issue is prevalent in the leadership of most organizations.

Issues Surrounding Black American Women in Educational Leadership

My concern, however, is not just any organization but educational leadership in particular. White individuals continue to occupy the top positions in educational institutions, especially those dominated by a white population. Black individuals, particularly women, rarely hold such positions in these kinds of schools. Therefore, the question to ask is, what are they doing, or what are they not doing? Why is the number of Black women in higher positions in colleges still low? Moreover, are there strategies we can implement to bring about a change in this situation?

It is true that African American women face discrimination because of their racial and gender status. However, this might not be the only reason for the small representation in educational leadership roles. Many Black American women lack the necessary skills to occupy these positions, particularly higher educational leadership roles in schools where whites are the majority. Consequently, the institution’s board often finds them ineligible for such executive positions due to their lack of required training. The absence of these skills is often because they could not access the resources necessary for their training. Many African Americans come from middle or low economic backgrounds, making it challenging to afford training for these positions (Genao, 2016). As a result, they do not qualify to occupy these roles. Nonetheless, to address this issue, I propose the subsidization of training programs for such individuals to a price they can afford. By doing so, they would gain the essential skills to occupy top positions in educational leadership in higher institutions.

Additional efforts could include creating mentorship programs and networks to support African American women in their professional development. These programs can provide guidance, share valuable insights, and open doors to opportunities that may otherwise be inaccessible. By fostering an inclusive environment and addressing systemic barriers, educational institutions can pave the way for more diverse and equitable leadership structures.

References

Cain, A. (2015). Women in Corporate Leadership Positions. Journal of Business Ethics, 129(3), 655-667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-014-2173-2

Genao, S. (2016). Barriers to Leadership: African American Women in Higher Education. Urban Education Research and Policy Annuals, 4(1), 76-86.