Breaking the Savior–Scapegoat Trap Revolutionary Leadership for Black Women

In this powerful episode of Revolutionary Leadership, Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown challenges one of the most persistent and damaging dynamics Black women face across work, family, community, and spiritual spaces: the expectation to be either the savior or the scapegoat. Drawing from over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations, Dr. Kerry names the emotional and structural cost of leadership models that demand exhaustion, self-sacrifice, and individual heroics. She invites listeners into a liberating alternative: leadership rooted in collective capacity, radical authenticity, and sustainable impact. Through personal reflection, organizational case studies, and lived examples from her work at SEIU's Racial Justice Center, Dr. Kerry reveals how rejecting limiting archetypes creates space for joy, shared leadership, and measurable transformation. This conversation is both a reckoning and a roadmap for leaders who are ready to stop carrying everything alone and start leading in ways that honor their full humanity. You'll Discover: The hidden cost of being positioned as the "fix-everything" leader How savior and scapegoat archetypes show up across professional and personal life Why traditional leadership models fail Black women and what must replace them How collective leadership reduces burnout while increasing impact Three revolutionary principles for building sustainable, human-centered leadership Practical strategies for resetting expectations in new leadership roles Why honoring identity, culture, and joy is a leadership advantage, not a liability How building leadership capacity in others creates long-term systems change Blueprint in Action: Dr. Kerry shares four strategic steps leaders can use immediately to shift from individual burden to collective transformation: Reset expectations from "you fix everything" to "we transform together" Engage collaborative assessment to surface collective wisdom Establish clear, sustainable boundaries Cultivate shared leadership models that build capacity beyond yourself Listeners are invited to reflect on where they may be carrying savior or scapegoat roles and to imagine what leadership could look like if it fully honored who they are. Featured Voice: Adureh Onyekwere, Senior Program Associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, shares how Dr. Kerry's leadership frameworks supported Black women prosecutors through identity-affirming strategy, collective wisdom, and sustainable leadership practices—transforming emotional labor into long-term organizational strength. About the Host: This podcast is hosted by Dr. Kerry Mitchell Brown, founder and CEO of kmb Consultancy and cultural architect specializing in revolutionary leadership and organizational transformation. Drawing on her entrepreneurial experience and a career spanning nonprofits, academia, and Fortune 100 companies, Dr. Kerry equips leaders across industries to navigate systems not designed for them, amplify their strategic power, and create environments where equity and innovation flourish. Connect with her here. Join the Conversation: Have you been inspired by this episode? Dr. Kerry invites you to: Leave an honest review sharing how this episode impacted you Share this podcast with a revolutionary leader in your life - we all know someone who needs to hear they're building tomorrow's blueprints Let's Connect: 🌐: RevolutionaryLead.com ✉️: [e-mail] Social Media: @RevolutionaryLead Credits: Intro and outro music: "Feeling Free" by Jesse Lawrence (Epidemic Sound) A Crackers In Soup production