Not all Black women in K-12 educational leadership have the same opportunities and experiences. Importantly, context matters. Black women's ethnic values and racialized experiences can impact how they view themselves as leaders, how they socialize and adapt to their roles, and how they process their experiences. Nonetheless, thoughtful coaching and mentorship can help them feel satisfied, fulfilled, and accomplished in both their professional and personal lives. This chapter focuses on the significance of coaching and mentorship as avenues of support for a Black Garifuna woman in K-12 educational leadership at a West Texas University. Deliberate coaching and mentorship matter. They facilitate socialization, psychological adjustment, and learning, and they also prepare her for the execution of new roles and responsibilities. Notably, self-will and determination are also important for leadership development. These two traits allow the Black Garifuna woman to experience autonomy and a sense of ownership over her work.
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There is an underrepresentation of female minority leaders in educational leadership, as highlighted in research literature. Because of this underrepresentation, there is a scarcity of evidence, which can help others fully understand the lived experiences of these leaders as they navigate their careers and face the increasing and often conflicting demands of school leadership. Nevertheless, scholars have been able to determine that at the crossroad of intersectionality and gender, Black women in educational leadership have encountered and battled challenges, hurdles, and other major setbacks during their careers. Some of these difficulties include unfair expectations for their roles, negative attitudes from supervisors, disrespect from key stakeholders, and unethical promotions. Despite these discriminatory practices, they have been resolute in their quest to overcome the barriers that impede their progress and hinder their ability to lead.
Not all Black women in educational leadership share similar experiences. Some of them demonstrate remarkable strength as they navigate and continue to excel in the educational leadership landscape. Noteworthy, is that their leadership capabilities are shaped by their individual leadership self-efficacy; this factor, is influenced by their unique ethnic backgrounds and racialized experiences. These personal experiences play a significant role in shaping their mental models, socialization, and sensemaking processes. Consequently, these female leaders utilize sensemaking to transform how they lead and make decisions in the challenging and often conflicting sphere of educational leadership. Importantly, their actions consistently prioritize the best interests of the families, schools, and communities that they serve and lead.
I am a Black Garifuna woman in K-12 educational leadership at a West Texas University, and this chapter focuses on the significance of leadership coaching and mentorship as avenues of support in my professional growth. I posit that deliberate coaching and mentorship are important since they facilitate socialization, psychological adjustment, learning, and preparation for the execution of my new roles and responsibilities. Additionally, self-will and determination are equally important contributors towards my leadership development. These two traits, among others, allowed me to experience autonomy and a sense of ownership over my work.