A Black Woman’s Road to Principalship: An Autoethnography

k women in educational leadership. This study investigates the perceived barriers of Black women in educational leadership. Majority of the research in the educational field pertaining to women is generalized in various ways and are not specific to Black women. With Black women in educational leadership on the rise, more research is needed for and by Black women to help successfully navigate educational leadership. During the last decade, African American women have pioneered and forged new frontiers as educational leaders (Rusher, 1996). This study included four Black women in educational leadership in different school districts in Minnesota. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews as well as the researcher’s first-hand experiences. Participants volunteered to take part in the study through a Linkedin post. From the individual interviews and data analysis this study describes the experiences and perceived barriers as shared by four Black women in K-12 educational leadership. In reviewing and analyzing the stories shared, their experiences and perceptions were undeniably similar. All four leaders revealed being viewed as a motherly figure to Black students in their buildings but struggled to be heard amongst their staff. Research revealed, being a woman as a barrier to principalship, coupled with historical and societal norms upheld and perpetuated in education today. Although Black women are still a scarcity in educational leadership, research shows we are now believed to possess the qualities deemed necessary to be a successful school leader. This scarcity is caused largely in part by sexism, hiring practices and lack of support/mentorship