“I Feel Like Everybody Is Waiting on Me to Do Something So Great”: Exploring Black Undergraduate Women Leaders' Experiences at East Carolina University

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 5:25 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 1
  In Roundtable Session: Identity and Leadership in College Athletics and Student Affairs (Table 10)

Abstract

While scholarship on Black women continues to grow, the narratives of Black undergraduate women student leaders remain incomplete. Much of the existing literature lacks a nuanced perspective on Black undergraduate women's experiences, particularly their roles as leaders in registered campus organizations. This paper centers the voices of ten Black women leaders at a regional and rural institution in North Carolina, focusing on their experiences at East Carolina University. Using Crenshaw’s theory of intersectionality to unpack the interlocking oppressions Black women face at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and drawing on the historical traditions of Black women’s leadership, this study highlights ways institutions can shift to create spaces that support Black undergraduate women leaders.

Authors

• Roshaunda L. Breeden, North Carolina State University

• Jade McNeill, East Carolina University