Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration

The Power of Collectivism: Racial Healing and Black Women’s Political Leadership

Shonna Tillman

Mississippi State University

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-6563-2493

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24926/jsepa.v4i2.6852

Keywords: Black Women's Politcal Leadership, racial healing, collectivism, grassroots political training, public administration

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Abstract

This article presents an integrative literature review supported by illustrative survey data to examine how Black women’s political leadership development is shaped through grassroots political training programs. Drawing on public administration, Black feminist thought, and political science, the analysis explores how such programs cultivate leadership practices grounded in collectivism, community accountability, and care while operating within political systems structured by individualistic norms. Survey data from 88 participants are used illustratively to contextualize patterns in political ambition, candidacy consideration, and inspiration from other Black women leaders, rather than to test causal relationships. Taken together, the article advances a conceptual argument that collectivist leadership frameworks provide a lens for examining alternative approaches to leadership development and democratic practice in public administration, while underscoring the need for future empirical research to more explicitly examine governance outcomes associated with these approaches.

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Author Biography

Shonna Tillman, Mississippi State University

Dr. Shonna Tillman (she/her) (ast82@msstate.edu) is a Public Policy and Administration scholar whose research focuses on Black women’s political representation and rural leadership. Her expertise spans youth engagement, curriculum design, and coalition building, with a focus on Black-led communities. She is a professor committed to advancing equity through teaching and advocacy.

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