Abstract:
The purpose of this narrative inquiry (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000; Kim, 2016) study was to investigate, document, and illuminate how controlling images influence the perceptions, experiences, opportunities, and/or health of five Black women leaders living in South Georgia by conducting 90-minute in-depth (Seidman, 2019) life story interviews (Kim, 2016). Controlling images are internalized stereotypes that influence one’s self-image, lived experiences, and life opportunities based on prevailing standards, such as physical features, dialect, social status, and behaviors (Collins, 2022; Harris-Perry, 2011). The problem is society has persistently deemed Black women's existence invisible (Crenshaw, 1989; Hart, 1967; hooks, 1981; Langley, 2021) and their concerns negligible (Collins, 1989; Jones et al., 2021), which hinders the resurfacing of their stories. This problem impacted the health, life experiences, leadership opportunities, and perceptions of Black women in America (Collins, 1989; Crenshaw, 1989; Harris-Perry, 2011; hooks, 2000; Kirby, 2020; Walker, 1983). Today, contemporary Black women collectively continue to fight for their voices to be heard, their identities and experiences to be accurately represented, and their intersectional narratives to be acknowledged and told by them (Collins, 2022; Jones et al., 2021; Porter & Byrd, 2021; Simmons, 2020). The study findings not only added to scholarly research about Black women as intellectual leaders, but also informed implications for future research on identity and media representation; cultural diversity and belonging; learning and transformation; American laws and opportunity; education and home dynamic; and narrative inquiry/analysis. The narrative analysis reported fresh perspectives and new ideas for institutions, policymakers, and organizational leaders.