Leading from the Shield: The Legacy of Black Women’s Leadership and Sorority Life

• In Event: Celebrating 15 years of Herstories: (Re)membering Black Women's Leadership Then and Now

Abstract

“...Well-behaved or virtuous women ...have been largely lost to history because their
lives were unremarkable by the terms of who decides what counts as history.
Usually, and far too often (frankly), only women who break social rules or upset
social norms get noticed by chroniclers at the time and make it into the history
books.” (Ulrich, 1976)

As basic human and civil rights continue to be eroded by an “empowered” few, the legacy and history of Black women is still historically unmatched and undeniable. In spaces where Black women were meant to be seen and not heard, submissive, and obedient, women such as Mary Church Terrell, Anna Julia Cooper, Autherine Lucy, and Alice Allison Dunnigan, and others challenged social expectations and ignored cultural norms to become leaders and models for resistance – a counternarrative to the constraints and restrictions which were faced individually as well as collectively. Through the organization of multiple women’s clubs and organizations such as the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs (NACWC), the National Council of Negro Women (NCNW), and the National Pan Hellenic council (NPHC) during the early 20th century, sisterhoods have provided the base for Black liberation for decades. In other words, how have Black women leveraged these memberships to advance equity, social justice, and advancement for Black people?

Building upon Black Feminist Thought (BFT) epistemology and subconstructs, this paper will examine the often unacknowledged and undervalued impact and support of Black sorority life through the work of Black women members of Alpha Kappa Alpha (Cooper), Delta Sigma Theta (Terrell), Zeta Phi Beta (Lucy), and Sigma Gamma Rho (Dunnigan) Sororities, Inc. Black women have not always had the spaces and places to enhance and develop their academic, social, cultural, economic, political, or psychological acumen, most frequently having to take a back seat to Black men, white women, white men, and others. Therefore, they had to find their voice and leadership skills wherever they could. Researchers will use ethnographic and narrative analysis approaches to examine the historical and archival lives and lived experiences of selected NPHC sorority members whose membership, and ultimately leadership development was integral in their leadership for social justice. Although a causal relationship cannot be determined, the researchers will examine the patterns associated with Black women leaders and their sorority membership ties.

A purposive sample of NPHC sorority members will be examined. The researchers will utilize Bruner’s “functional approach” to examine the biographic and historical data to demonstrate how leadership roles and opportunities were created, shaped, developed, and shared. While Black women’s leadership is often seen as reactionary, secondary, or shaped from centered individuals or groups, it is the goal of this research to develop a coherent and non-marginalized perspective or interpretation of Black women’s leadership. The purpose of this research is to provide an empirical framework and perspective of Black women’s leadership, sorority life, and membership may contribute to the Black social justice and racial uplift in the U.S.

Authors

• Janeula M. Burt, Bowie State University

• Dr Erinn Fears Floyd, Equity and Excellence in Education, LLC and Texas State University