photo credit: Christina Morillo / Pexels

Key Takeaways

• Black women remain significantly underrepresented in educational leadership despite longstanding contributions to the field.
• Systemic barriers, including bias in hiring and lack of clear equity policies, continue to limit access to leadership roles.
• Research highlights recurring challenges such as stereotyping, non-diverse hiring panels, and inequitable interview processes.
• The “glass cliff” phenomenon places Black women in high-risk leadership roles with limited support and increased scrutiny.
• Clear, actionable equity policies and inclusive hiring practices are essential to improving representation and outcomes.

Dr. Natasha Halfkenny is an experienced educational leader and entrepreneur whose work centers on expanding equitable opportunities for students and educators in underserved communities. With more than two decades of experience in Boston-area schools, she has served as a teacher, cluster leader, transformation coach, and principal, while also founding Melanin Scholars, LLC., an organization focused on academic mentoring and career readiness. Dr. Natasha Halfkenny earned a Doctor of Education in International Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University and has dedicated her career to advancing culturally responsive education, student well being, and community partnerships.

Her research and leadership efforts address systemic barriers within education, including the persistent challenges faced by Black women pursuing leadership roles in schools and universities.

Challenges Faced by Black Women Pursuing Educational Leadership Roles

Despite the contributions of 20th century African American educational leaders like Vivian Harsh, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, and Ruth Simmons, Black women remain underrepresented in leadership positions, both in public and higher education.

According to a 2021 study published in Race Ethnicity and Education, Black women account for just 2 percent of tenured professors in degree-granting post-secondary institutions. Moreover, women comprise almost 32 percent of university presidents, but only 5 percent are Black women, according to the American Council on Education. A similar issue exists in public education, as qualified Black female educators continue to face disproportionate challenges for leadership roles.

The underrepresentation of Black women in education mirrors a similar trend in the corporate world, where only 1.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs were Black women in 2023. At the same time, Black women accounted for less than 10 percent of managers and 7.3 percent of executives in the public sector. According to the authors of “The Perilous Experiences of Black Women in Higher Education Leadership Who Were Placed on the Glass Cliff,” published in 2025 in the Journal of African American Studies, the underrepresentation of this population is “a reflection of long-standing institutional structures that restrict access to authority and visibility.”

In her 2024 dissertation “Experiences of Female African American Educators When Seeking Leadership Positions,” Shawania Marshall argued that public school systems in the southern US do not have clear and effective equity policies. After reviewing all of the relevant literature, she determined that there was no real consensus among scholars as to why Black women still face “negative experiences and challenges” when applying for leadership roles such as director, coordinator, assistant principal, and principal.

In hopes of bringing greater awareness to the issue and promote more equitable hiring practices, Marshall interviewed eight Black public educational leaders. She asked them about their lived experiences in the education sector and when applying for leadership roles. In the process, she uncovered several common themes, including systemic racism during the interview process. Five of the eight survey participants said they felt they experienced stereotyping or bias while being interviewed and four stated they either “did not fit the mold” for the position or “did not have a fair experience due to the interview process being conducted by a panel that was not diverse.”

According to Marshall, equity policies can help to remedy the issue of Black women’s underrepresentation in public education leadership, but they must have clear and concise guidelines. She points to ABC Schools’ 2022 “The Blueprint for the Future” agenda, which listed equity as one of the Georgia district’s four strategic principles. It defined equity as ensuring that every student has what they need to reach their full academic potential.

Compounding the issue of underrepresentation is the “glass cliff” phenomenon, which is the idea that people from historically underrepresented backgrounds are sometimes elevated to leadership roles during turbulent times. According to the authors of the study, which was published in the 2025 issue of the Journal of African American Studies, some organizations use Black women as “symbolic solutions” to show progress amid contentious times. Meanwhile, they often have limited authority, inadequate resources, and face greater scrutiny.

In conclusion, educational institutions must adopt more equitable hiring practices and policies to support Black women pursuing leadership positions.

FAQs

Why are Black women underrepresented in educational leadership?

Black women face systemic barriers such as bias in hiring processes, lack of diverse leadership pipelines, and unclear or ineffective equity policies within institutions.

What is the “glass cliff” phenomenon?

The glass cliff refers to situations where individuals from underrepresented groups are placed in leadership roles during times of crisis, often with limited support and higher risk of failure.

How do hiring practices impact leadership opportunities?

Non-diverse hiring panels, implicit bias, and unclear evaluation criteria can disadvantage Black women, leading to inequitable interview experiences and outcomes.

What role do equity policies play in addressing this issue?

Effective equity policies provide structured guidelines for fair hiring, advancement, and support, helping to reduce systemic barriers and improve representation.

What changes are needed to support Black women in leadership roles?

Organizations need to adopt transparent hiring practices, invest in leadership development, and ensure accountability in diversity and inclusion efforts.

About Dr. Natasha Halfkenny

Dr. Natasha Halfkenny is an educational leader and entrepreneur with more than two decades of experience serving students and educators in Massachusetts. She earned a Doctor of Education in International Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University and has worked as a teacher, cluster leader, transformation coach, and principal within Boston-area schools. As founder and CEO of Melanin Scholars, LLC., Dr. Natasha Halfkenny leads academic mentoring initiatives that support student achievement, social emotional development, and career readiness. Her research also examines the experiences of Black students navigating higher education.