Black, African American, and Migrant Indigenous Women in Leadership: Voices and Practices Informing Critical HRD

Abstract

The Problem The lack of theoretical frameworks representing voices and leadership experiences of women of color, compounded by multiple ways intersectionality changes the experience, continues to be under-represented in Human Resources Development (HRD) literature. Furthermore, given the field of HRD is fundamental to developing the whole person, lack of attention to voices and leadership experiences of women of color is problematic. Here, women of color represent Black, African American, and Indigenous women leaders. The Solution Applied critical leadership is introduced as a theoretical framework to expand and enhance HRD research, theory, and practice in the development of women of color as leaders. A conceptual development model, the Feminist Indigenous Mixteco Migrant Epistemology (FIMME) is introduced as a sociocultural view of leadership, defining multiple ways women of color harness the power of intersecting racial, ethnic, gendered, linguistic, socio-economic, and migrant leadership practices. The Stakeholders Human Resources Development scholars, students, and policymakers benefit from novel ways to think about women of color in leadership through culturally grounded concepts, bringing light to nuanced understandings. Exemplars for women’s leadership for culturally and linguistically diverse and Indigenous societies are provided as solutions to socio-political complexity.

Mapping the Future of Intersectional Research in Human Resource Development: An Integrated Literature Review

“…The exception was Hutchins and Kovach (2019) which reviewed each institution’s grant proposal and website. The other half ( n = 12) were non-empirical studies, including perspective (Byrd, 2014; Davis et al, 2020; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lanier et al, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023), conceptual (Kang et al, 2015; Santamaría et al, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010), and literature review studies (Alfred et al, 2019; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Sims, 2022; Syed & Ali, 2019).…”

“…Lastly, the research contexts in most articles were based in the United States, and only six articles were conducted in international contexts, including South Africa (Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Ngunjiri, 2016), Sri Lanka (Adikaram, 2018), Pakistan (Syed & Ali, 2019), India (Sims & Hirudayaraj, 2016), and South Korea (Kang et al, 2015). Four articles on intersectional pedagogy and leadership did not have a specific national context (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Thomas et al, 2010). Various organizational contexts were also explored, including higher education (Davis et al, 2020; Hutchins & Kovach, 2019; Jean-Marie et al, 2009; Johnson & Thomas, 2012; Lloyd-Jones, 2009; Manongsong & Ghosh, 2021; Ngunjiri & Hernández, 2017; Thomas et al, 2010), K-12 schools (Bass, 2009), private military sectors (Hirudayaraj & Clay, 2019), and multiple organizations (Adikaram, 2018; Bass, 2009; Dillard & Osam, 2021; Ngunjiri, 2016).…”

“…In the third issue of ADHR 2022, the editors (Sims & Carter, 2022) again highlighted the problem of the lack of leadership research on women of color in HRD since the call to action in the 2009 Special Issue of ADHR. Four research articles (Lanier et al, 2022; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sims, 2022; Trusty et al, 2023) responded to their call. Specifically, Sims’s (2022) literature review of women of color leaders in the HRD journals showed that they are still not represented in leadership even after the 2009 Special Issue.…”

“…Specifically, Sims’s (2022) literature review of women of color leaders in the HRD journals showed that they are still not represented in leadership even after the 2009 Special Issue. In addition, Lanier et al (2022) and Santamaría et al (2022) provided a conceptual framework incorporating a sociocultural perspective on leadership. Trusty et al (2023) discussed hair bias against Black women working in the US.…”

Diversity Officer Development Programs: A New Approach to Cultivating High Performing Chief Diversity Officers

“…With Chief Diversity Officer positions rising in prevalence across economic sectors, it is time for the human resource development (HRD) community to ask questions about how employees are being prepared to thrive in the new CDO roles. It is exciting that HRD has an increasingly robust body of literature relative to organizational diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice (Alfred & Chlup, 2010; Bohonos & James-Gallaway, 2022; Bohonos & Johnson, 2021; Byrd, 2009; Byrd & Scott, 2018; Byrd & Stanley, 2009; Carter et al, 2022; Collins, 2013; Collins & Callahan, 2023; Davis et al, 2020; Gedro, 2010; Gedro & Mizzi, 2014; Henry, 2021; Kwon, 2021; Kwon & Archer, 2022; Lewellen et al, 2020; Procknow & Rocco, 2016; Santamaría et al, 2022; Sisco, 2020; Sparkman, 2017; Wicker, 2021) (see Table 1 for a description of how these works would inform the development of DODPs). It is also promising that calls are continuing for academic HRD programs to foreground this research in our teaching (Alfred et al, 2020; Bohonos et al, 2019).…”