Black women academics and senior managers resisting gendered racism in British higher education institutions

Abstract

This chapter analyses Black women academics and senior managers’ experiences of working in UK higher education. Testimony included in this chapter is drawn from the authors’ experiences with White staff, and critical discussion and shared reflection as the chapter was being prepared. The chapter utilises the theoretical lenses of intersectionality and critical race theory that have coincided with and been supported by the phenomenological experiences of the authors. The womens’ narratives reflect notions of resistance and resilience, which coalesce around themes of challenging visibility and invisibility, negotiating institutional power and the use of their networks in sustaining their survival.