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James Antone Perry, Jr., Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Lesley Jackson, Ph.D., Committee Chair

Y. Falami Devoe, Ph.D., Committee Member

Kimberly Hardy, Ed.D. Committee Member

Keywords

Black women, identity, Hip-Hop, Feminism, higher education, leadership

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the leadership experiences and lifespan identity development of Black women in predominantly White institutions (PWIs) of higher education at the dean level and above. Black women have typically been excluded from positions of leadership at colleges and universities nationwide throughout history. Additionally, the experiences of Black women in higher education leadership roles have not been extensively studied in scholarly research. The literature review clearly demonstrates that a sizeable portion of the analyses on leadership identity and experiences have been shaped by homogeneous viewpoints. Hip-Hop feminism is the theoretical framework utilized within this study. The methodology is a narrative inquiry. The results from this study seek to increase awareness of Black women’s identity-based experiences and further advance the usage of Hip-Hop feminism as a framework for engaging with academic studies. Hip-Hop feminism as a theoretical framework for higher education administration leadership is presently absent from significant research. This lens is necessary to see how the leadership practices of Black women in higher education leadership roles are shaped by the intersectional identities of race and gender. The conception of leadership and what qualities make a successful leader have historically been viewed through the lens of White male identity norms, which has been a significant hindrance to the advancement of folks outside of the dominant culture, specifically Black women. The criteria for research participants include identifying as Black, woman, a participant of Hip-Hop culture (consumer of Hip-Hop culture who is immersed in various elements such as music, fashion, vernacular, history, etc.), and being in a leadership role at a PWI (Dean and above). This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No. 0009-0003-8713-2478

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