Guess who’s coming to the meeting? African American student leadership experiences unpacked

This study explores 5 African American students’ leadership experiences at a predominantly White institution (PWI) where they experienced leadership benefits when leading in predominantly White organizations. Findings indicated participants’ enacted aspects relational leadership in order to facilitate their growth as leaders through advisor mentoring, being purposeful in determining processes to create positive organizational change. Specifically, by enacting relational leadership participants were able to diversify their organizational memberships and empower new members to become actively involved. Additionally, participants found predominantly White organizations as cultural safe places where being African American leaders was accepted without the racial angst experienced in ethnic organizations. These findings provide insight into how African American students lead in predominantly White organizations and the leadership benefits received from participating in active roles. These l