Contesting the Terrain of the Ivory Tower: Spiritual Leadership of African American Women in the Academy (Studies in African American History and Culture)

Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Setting the Context......Page 11 1. When and Where We Enter the Academy: Telling (Her) Story......Page 21 2. Surveying the Literature......Page 38 3. Methodology......Page 50 4. Flat-Footed Truths: Telling Black Women’s Lives......Page 58 5. The Soul of My Sisters: Talkin’ and Testifyin’......Page 73 6. Still Lifting as We Climb......Page 87 7. Our Spiritual Strivings......Page 100 Appendix A: Letter to Prospective Participants......Page 107 Notes......Page 110 Bibliography......Page 118 Index......Page 122 This study examines the leadership of three African-American women administrators in higher education, and how they have used their spirituality as a lens to lead in the academy. The central questions in this case study include: How do African-American women make meaning of their spiritual selves in their everyday leadership practices? How does their spirituality influence their work and the type of relationships they develop with others in the academy? What are the ways in which these three women have used their spirituality as a lens to lead, and how does this leadership impact the social, cultural and political construct of a male-dominated arena?