Leading From the Intersection

If you look up the book definition of intersectionality, you can identify the sociological framework suggested by Kimberlé Crenshaw in the 1980s that explains how complex power structures of individuals and groups combine, or intersect, in patterns of discrimination and privilege across multiple factors such as gender, race, and class. Dr. Julius O. Sokenu
But the connotative meaning is somewhat different. How does intersectionality operate on a personal or an organizational level? And how does one use intersectionality to help define a leadership style? Specifically, for me, how do my intersectional identities influence or impact my leadership style, priorities, and strategic directions? And how do they inform the ways I navigate campus culture and focus on student success?

First, I believe a college president’s leadership success can be measured based on the impact that a leader has on the lives of the people they serve. Leadership is about making authentic choices, and my leadership reflects the intersection in my life of race, gender, immigration status, religion, sexuality, and professional background. The core of my leadership was formed by the combined strengths of my own layered identities, and my practice and decision-making, whether focused on my commitment to racial and social justice or simply my ability to listen to students and colleagues, is shaped by the multilayered identities I bring to leadership.

I am a Black man from Lagos, Nigeria; a Yoruba by tribal affiliation. I came to America as an International student and became a legal immigrant. I am a parent as well as a poet, writer, and storyteller, and I’ve served as an artist in the schools where I’ve taught. I identify as a gay Black man, a practicing Catholic, and a multilingual leader with a doctorate in education and an emphasis in curriculum and teaching. My doctoral dissertation was on motivating at-risk students through creating a sense of belonging, and my focus on equity and social justice work is not just an academic pursuit, who I am defines how I do the work of college president.

As president of a campus that is experiencing an increasing demographic shift from predominantly Caucasian to a Hispanic Serving Institution has meant that my colleagues and I must meet students where they are. We endeavor to develop practices and protocols that reaffirm our Latinx students’ sense of belonging, and we aspire to go beyond the Black/white racial dichotomy. The college must support individual effort and achievement while respecting and elevating students’ lived experiences of culture and thought.

What happens when my identities conflict? For example, what happens when one community’s priorities conflict with another’s or when a decision makes a claim to me but not to the “whole me?” As college president, my primary responsibility is to put the needs of students first. I’m accountable for facilitating access to quality, culturally relevant instruction and services designed to prepare students for fulfilling careers and to help empower lives of civic engagement. I am charged with creating a working environment free of sexism, racism, homophobia, ableism, xenophobia, religious intolerance, and classism. I am a responsible steward of public funds, an enabler of equity, and a lover of knowledge. I actively seek out opportunities on my own and in collaborative relationships with stakeholders. I strive to be reasonable, professional, mission-driven, and empathetic as I navigate the intersecting and sometimes colliding differences, those competing agendas we deal with as education professionals. I have learned to work within the system without compromising my legitimacy. I have also learned to make choices that sometimes leave me feeling fragmented and disconnected. But no matter the outcome for me, I have learned to be vulnerable and lead with conviction, purpose, and intention to best serve students.

And doing this requires that I actively engage with marginalized voices, fostering open dialogues with students and colleagues through one-on-one conversations and gathering multiple perspectives. Gathering employee data and student data from focus groups and surveys that are then integrated into a feedback loop to create a cycle of improvement helps in these aims. But even more important than data is hearing stories, to gain a richer understanding of staff and student lived experiences. I am open to unlearning and relearning and recognizing my privilege as a cisgender male while navigating the burdens of being an African American male in the upper echelon of higher education, particularly community college education. Fostering a culture of psychological safety spurs innovation, creativity, resilience, and learning, which strengthens educator performance and better serves students and their life goals.

From my experiences of marginalization and injustice, I have developed skills in conceptualization and advocacy. My experiences fueled my interest in racial and social justice.

Learning to survive and thrive in academia despite subtle and not-so-subtle racism and homophobia have taught me that allies matter and that authentic allyship is essential to system change and transformation. My primary mentors have been women of color, white women and gay men. But my “ecosystem of support” is more expansive and includes people with disabilities, religious minorities, and people on both sides of the political spectrum.

At Moorpark, equity initiatives aimed at fostering student belonging and engagement include the use of secure two-way texting by admissions, financial aid, counseling, and other departments. Students learn that they have a person who cares about them at the college. Language matters, so we use academic notice instead of academic probation when addressing students who are underperforming. A dialog-rich culture leans into the climate surveys and focus groups and we use course-embedded tutors and two-way texting to motivate academic success and achievement. We are there for them when they need us. Moorpark College faculty members provide students more time on tests in gateway Math and English courses. We tackle inequitable access to college and careers by our marketing honors program to high school students who are not considering college or with no history of college-going in their families. The classified professionals participate in IEBC’s Caring Campus initiative as they are often the first contact students, and the community make when they connect with our college.

As the nation and higher education become more multicultural, leaders of all sectors, but educators in particular, must bring their authentic selves forward in serving students, universities, employers, communities, and families. As an immigrant, I value how immigrants contribute to the cultural diversity of America and provide a driving force behind innovation and intellectual property. As a gay Black man, the courage to live my life with honesty, dignity, integrity, and visibility has the potential to model resilience for others with similar life experiences. I see our students as stories in progress. I am invested in building a universe of possibilities and design systems to that end.

My responsibility to those not afforded the opportunities I’ve had, compels me to lead with integrity and to help create a system designed for people both similar and different from me; in other words, a system that is more inclusive and more equitable in its practices and outcomes. I have to lead from my values, my heart, my faith, and my belief in recognizing the salient intersections we all bring to the world.

Dr. Julius O. Sokenu is the president of Moorpark College.

Behind the Desk: Perspectives of Black Community College CEOs is a column edited by Drs. Tina M. King, Jamal A. Cooks and David M. Johnson.