Black and Brown leaders in the counseling profession continue to be minoritized as they navigate a White dominant profession. It is important that the counseling profession take steps to empower Black and Brown counseling leaders with the tools needed to effectively and confidently lead. The authors examine the socially just and culturally responsive counseling leadership model (SJCRCLM), the inclusive leadership model (ILM), and culture-centered leadership models (CCLM) using personal narratives. Black and Brown counseling leaders at different levels of leadership (i.e., beginner, intermediate, advanced) are provided with recommendations for navigating life in the US and specifically a profession that is dominated by Whiteness.
TopIntroduction
The American Counseling Association (ACA, 2020a) is the world’s largest counseling association representing over 50,000 professional counselors. Founded in 1952, the ACA is a non-profit professional and educational organization. Since its inception, 19 of the first 20 presidents have been White men, and although the profession strives to promote multicultural competence, it continues to experience challenges in seeing diverse individuals represented in leadership (Meyers, 2017). According to Meyers (2017, para. 4) “many [members] feel that the counseling profession is still largely dominated by White culture.”
In this chapter we draw attention to the challenges experienced by Black and Brown leaders in the counseling profession as they navigate “White Supremacist America” (Inwood & Alderman, 2016). Particularly, we situate this dialogue within the context of the ongoing dual pandemic, wherein the COVID-19 health crisis and heightened racial tensions exacerbate issues of White Supremacy, racist nativism and leadership. We begin the chapter by identifying the socio-political environment in the United States (US) and its impact on the profession of counseling. Next, we operationalize the meaning of the phrase “Black and Brown leadership” in relation to social identities and minoritized statuses. Following this, we outline three leadership models that specifically center Black and Brown leadership approaches. Additionally, each author adopts one model and offers personal narratives of how characteristics of the model fit their personal journey of leadership in the counseling profession. Finally, Black and Brown counseling leaders are provided with practical leadership applications that can be incorporated in a White-dominated profession.
Our aim is to equip and empower Black and Brown counseling leaders with the tools needed to lead effectively and confidently in their spheres of influence while in environments that question their Americanness and simultaneously assign them ‘Other’ (non-white) identities. The chapter examines the Socially Just and Culturally Responsive Counseling Leadership Model (SJCRCLM; Peters et al., 2020), the Inclusive Leadership Model (ILM; Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, 2013), and a Culture-Centered Leadership Model (CCLM; Metz, 2018).
Objectives
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Identify the socio-political environment in the US and its impact on the profession of counseling.
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Learn the meaning of the phrase Black and Brown leadership as explained in terms of social identities and minoritized status (i.e., othering, intersectionality, Americanism).
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Evaluate leadership models by comparing them with the lived experiences of the authors.
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Identify practical leadership applications that Black and Brown counseling leaders can incorporate in a White dominated profession, especially during times of tumultuous change and social unrest.
The State Of Affairs: Review Of Socio-Political Context In The Us
In 2019, Horowitz and colleagues stated that although over 150 years after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the US, a large proportion of Americans hold the belief that Black people continue to be negatively impacted by the legacy of slavery. In a national Pew Research Center survey of 6,637 adults conducted between January 22 and February 5, 2019, researchers commented that four out of 10 Americans believe the US has not made enough progress in the area of racial equality. 56% of participants believe that President Trump and his administration have worsened race relations in the US since taking office. In addition, approximately 75% of Americans surveyed stated that President Trump’s leadership has normalized the expression of racist views in the US (Horowitz et al., 2019).