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.
