Nah, Get Somebody Else To Do It

Abstract Under the grand façade of the ivory tower, Black women with tenure or tenure-track appointments have achieved the pinnacle of success—a coveted spot among scholars who push the boundaries of their respective fields. However, to survive these within these environments, Black women often fall victim to Superwoman Syndrome: the real or perceived obligation to manifest strength, suppress emotions, and shoulder others, while rejecting vulnerability and dependency and maintaining the determination and expectation to succeed despite limited resources. Rooted in Black feminist and womanist frameworks, this autoethnographic narrative explores my resistance to Superwoman Syndrome during my journey toward tenure. Together, I use these frameworks to (1) center my lived experience as a pre-tenured Black woman academic, (2) examine how my embodied intersecting social identities shape my experience, and (3) critique the systems of oppression and privilege that encourage Superwoman Syndrome.