Telling My Story of Racism: Through the Lens of a Black Woman Leader

The purpose of this chapter is to recognize the intellectual wisdom and lived experiences of Black women as creators of knowledge and contributors to ways of knowing about leadership amidst the traumatizing effects of racism. This chapter will problematize the contradiction of power and authority when a Black woman enters to lead in White spaces. A parable of Black women leader’s experiences concluded that even though Black women are subjected to disempowering experiences, being relegated to an outsider status, needing validation, and overcoming stereotypical images, with extraordinary finesse, they reject the forces that attempt to define their right to lead and chart a path of their own. Implications for human resource development relate to the lack of support from the field in the development of Black women leaders.