When progressive communities fail Black women leaders

As a Black woman who has served on the Cambridge School Committee, I have seen patterns emerge when women of color lead with a vision not centered on traditional power structures. I watched the recent superintendent search process unfold, and it was deeply concerning — not only because of procedural disagreements, but because of the energy and intensity with which some have worked to discredit and dismantle it. I want to be clear that it is OK to have different perspectives and disagree with Black women. But what is currently playing out in the public sphere goes well beyond this. Committee Member Elizabeth Hudson’s continued efforts to question and delegitimize a process led by Black women — particularly Mayor Denise Simmons, Vice Chair Caroline Hunter, and The Equity Process — raise diff