Black Women’s Pathways to Executive Academic Leadership is a ground-breaking new book that provides a compelling and timely exploration of the experiences and difficulties faced by Black women leaders in community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and predominantly White institutions (PWIs) in the face of ongoing challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education.
The publication of the book comes at a critical time as institutions of higher learning deal with legislative challenges to diversity programs in places like Florida and Texas.
In Black Women’s Pathways to Executive Academic Leadership, the authors speak to the pressing need for leaders who are aware of the struggles faced by racially and ethnically diverse student bodies, who can spot obstacles that conceal talent, and who can rally support for the establishment of welcoming and inclusive campus environments for all.
More than half (55%) of college presidents want to leave their roles within the next five years. This upcoming shift in power, especially among underrepresented groups, presents an opportunity to address, as the editor puts it, “the need for leaders who understand the experiences of racially and ethnically diverse student bodies, who can identify barriers that mask merit, and who can garner support to make campuses welcoming and inclusive spaces for all.”
The book’s main highlights include:
• The perspectives and experiences of black women leaders working in community institutions, HBCUs, and PWIs.
• The writers explore the complexities of academic leadership, shedding light on the challenges and possibilities that black women leaders face. This is done through in-depth analysis and personal tales.
• A strong appeal for higher education institutions to emphasize inclusion and diversity in their leadership structures
• The crucial role that black women leaders have had in influencing the future of education and the need for acknowledging and supporting their important work
This book is an essential tool for negotiating the difficulties of leadership and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion on campuses throughout the country as the landscape of higher education changes.
Please email Geane deLima at geane.delima@sagepub.com with any questions about the authors, review copies, or interviews.
Knowledgeable author
Dr. Crystal R. Chambers teaches educational leadership at East Carolina University and is a 2018 Carnegie Fellow. Additional accolades include the 2005 Doctoral Student Award from the American Association of Higher Education Black Caucus, a 2013 Chancellor’s Leadership Academy Fellowship, a 2016 Women of Distinction Award from East Carolina University, and a 2021 Fellow designation from the UNC System Executive Leadership Institute. Her specialties—college selection, faculty development, and doctorate education—all revolve around concerns of race and gender in higher education.
About Universal Write Publications
Universal Write Publications publishes scholarly works that vigorously recover the rich history of the numerous ethnic groups that make up our civilization. Its purpose is to publish various topics through the lens of black scholars who write about the lived experiences of the diaspora through an African lens. It will do this while upholding the strict standards of academic scholarship that uphold the core of research, data analysis, and scientific methods used in the academy.
