Women’s History Month is a time for reflection, celebration and action. In community colleges, where we serve as bridges to opportunity, it is our duty to honor the resilience of the women before us and continue the urgent, unfinished work of advancing equity in higher education. From suffragists who fought for the right to vote to educators dismantling systemic barriers today, women’s history is a testament to the power of collective struggle and hope.
Last fall, I had the privilege of delivering the plenary speech at the American Association of Women in Community Colleges’ 50th-anniversary celebration. Meeting incredible women from all walks of life, united by our shared mission to uplift students, inspired me deeply.
“I am a book that has often been judged by its cover.” This was the opening line of my college entrance essay – a reflection of the complexities of identity that still resonate with me. As a cisgender, non-disabled, neurotypical, heterosexual woman of color with the privilege of education, I understand both privilege and pain. I know what it is like to be physically harmed, emotionally “othered” and constantly required to prove my worth. Women know this feeling all too well – the experience of being underestimated, of having to fight for recognition while navigating spaces that make us both hyper-visible and invisible.
Finding, creating transformative spaces
Women have long asserted their worth in higher education. Community colleges have been transformative spaces for them – as students and as leaders. Pioneers like Mary McLeod Bethune and Emma Willard paved the way and today, I am honored to serve alongside leaders like Melanie Dixon and Denise Richardson, presidents of the College of Alameda and Berkeley City College, who are shaping institutions to be engines of social and economic change. I draw strength from leaders like Tachetta Henry, a classified professional and domestic violence survivor and Sophia Parmigiani, a student trustee balancing school, work and activism. Their journeys remind us that true equity remains a work in progress.
As women in leadership, we carry a profound responsibility. We are not just administrators; we are caretakers of hope, stewards of access and champions for students seeking not just education, but belonging. Despite the challenges – being underestimated, balancing leadership with personal life and navigating systems not built for us – we must, as Baldwin urges, “take off the masks” and lead with radical love. When we do, we create the conditions for transformation.
Author bell hooks, in Teaching to Transgress, challenges us to see the classroom not as a place of passive instruction but as a vibrant space where both students and educators engage in self-actualization. She reminds us that education must embrace intersectionality – not as an addendum, but as its very fabric. Without addressing race, class, gender and sexuality, education perpetuates oppression rather than liberation. She urges us to make space for every voice and to recognize that our students bring invaluable perspectives that shape the learning experience.
‘We must transgress boldly’
This is especially crucial in community colleges, where students’ lived experiences are as diverse as their ambitions. Many of our students – especially women – juggle jobs, caregiving and school. Our institutions must not only see them but genuinely value them. This is not just about education but economic mobility, generational change and empowerment.
Like hooks, I believe love must be central to education. But love is not just patience or kindness – it is a radical commitment to nurturing students’ spirits and intellects. It breaks down barriers, fosters critical thinking and makes education a catalyst for social change. When teachers and students engage with respect and empathy, education transcends the classroom and becomes a force for justice.
One of hooks’ most powerful ideas is the necessity of transgression – the act of pushing beyond oppressive norms to create new possibilities. She calls on educators and students to challenge injustice and disrupt systems that limit freedom. Education, at its best, is a force for transformation. It empowers us to demand more from our institutions and insist on learning that speaks to our hearts, minds and humanity.
As women leaders in community colleges, we must transgress boldly, not just in classrooms but also in boardrooms, policy discussions and institutional structures. We must teach with radical love, advocate with unrelenting courage and fight for a higher education system that truly serves all. By doing so, we don’t just honor the past – we shape a future where every student, educator and leader has the freedom to thrive.
