Navigating Barriers, Shattering Ceilings, and Beating the Odds: An Exploration of How Intersectional Oppression Impacts the Experience of Black Women School Leaders

This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of eight Black women who have served as principal in a Southeastern state. Using intersectionality and Black feminist thought as theoretical frameworks, the study illuminated how the intersection of race and gender influenced their experience as school leaders. Using counternarrative as the methodology, the study highlights individual and collective struggles with gendered racism in a professional setting. Participants shared their lived experience through semi-structured interviews. The purpose of the study was to document the experiences of Black women school principals by examining how they navigate barriers caused by intersectional oppression to achieve their career goals, how intersectional oppression impacts their career path, and how intersectional oppression impacts their daily interactions with school stakeholders. The study results serve as a source of information for improving the leadership development of Black women.