Dialogues in Leadership Herstory: Exploring the Experiences of Black Women Faculty in a LEADERSHIP-DEVELOPMENT Program

Black women are underrepresented in all ranks of higher education, from tenured faculty to university presidents. There is a need for academic leadership programs that support Black women's rise to positions of leadership within academia. Dialogues in Leadership Herstory (DiLH) is a professional-development program that supports women's exploration of leadership in higher education through coaching. Its design of a short-term, high-impact group mentorship engages female faculty and staff at varying stages of their careers and offers them glimpses of opportunities through the narratives of successful female academic leaders. The study reported on here sought to explore the experiences of Black female psychology faculty who participated in DiLH during the spring 2021 virtual cohort. Through autoethnographic methodology, major themes that emerged across the experience included overcoming fear of vulnerability and imposter feelings, a redefining of leadership, empowerment, self-discovery, and the value of the support that comes from a community of women. In this paper recommendations are made for programs designed to support the needs of Black women in the academy.