Guest Editors' Introduction: "We've Been Lovers on a Mission"

Solange knowles released A Seat at the Table in 2016 and the track titled, "Borderline (an Ode to Self Care)," suggested that we take an intermission, and take a break from the "war outside these walls." Chair at the Table offers an opportunity to step back and reflect on Black women's academic leadership. The authors in this volume suggest a paradigm shift in the perception and experience of unit heads at colleges and universities to make less war inside and outside the walls of academe. At a moment when student and faculty populations are becoming more diverse, it is imperative to focus on ensuring university leaders and administrators also reflect this change. More than anything, this collection is an opportunity to take a break and acknowledge the level of work scholar-sisters do for the betterment of the profession; truly, Black women who share their experiences convey a love of the mission of higher education.

The years 2018 and 2019 marked fiftieth anniversaries for scores of Black studies programs in the United States. Institutions from California to New York have begun commemorating the founding of Black, Afro-American, African American, Africana, African Diaspora, and Pan-African degree programs and certificates. In addition, San Diego State College celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of its Department of Women's Studies in April 2020. At the intersection of these two momentous collegiate movements of Black studies (BST) and women's studies (WST), Black women's studies began as a formal academic discipline in the 1970s, when the first BWST classes were taught to fill gaps in both developing fields of study. Black women's academic leadership, in the academic areas of BST and WST as well as in traditional disciplines, provides an opportunity to reflect on histories of institutional diversity, experiences of cultural identity, and goals for critical education in higher education institutions.

Department chairs are constantly in the hot seat. In answer to the question, What Do Department Chairs Do? I published an extensive job description in the July 2021 journal The Department Chair. The piece details the numerous levels of tasks, skills, and areas of accountability inherent in this pivotal administrative position. Race and gender often complicate an already challenging position. In other instances, as will be seen in some contributions here, race and gender are less of a factor in leadership than culture, professional training, or agendas for strategic development. Regardless of the individual experience, this collection helps normalize the idea of Black women unit heads by centering those who have held the position. Black women's experiences offer higher education a unique locale from which to define work-life balance and chart a course for institutional change. Too often, the academy normalizes chronic stress instead of fostering a culture of wellness at work. A healthy chair cohort can make a difference in academe by establishing practices that create cultures of collective progress, but without conscious support for faculty leaders, burn out is probable, as those in leadership positions during the 2020 public health, political, and racial upheavals can affirm.

The eight contributors in this volume bring wide-ranging perspectives and experience. Disciplinary perspectives include engineering, history, African American studies, Africana studies, Pan-African studies, humanities, and a multi-disciplinary caucus group. Narratives reflect participation in several types of institutions, but also offer interesting similarities. One recurring refrain in the narratives is the notion that few actually enter the professoriate with an inkling that they will serve as department chair. Tenure track research, teaching, and moves toward deanship or upper administration are sometimes on the radar of burgeoning academics, but department chair is something that seems to happen to outstanding faculty who are caught unawares or who take the position only with reservation. This collection of voices can enable more formal discussions with junior faculty as well as senior colleagues about the value and professional benefit of gaining department head leadership experience, as well as the desirable character traits for the position. This increased awareness of the actual role of department chair can go a long way toward demystifying unit politics and...