When I taught college (not in Ivy League schools), one of my department heads was a white woman, two were white men, and three were black women (I'm white).

This is a small sampling of course, but the three black women were by far the most effective leaders. They saw themselves as coaches for both students and faculty. I've only read bits about Claudine Gay, but she seems like the same kind of leader. If she had been a white male espousing xenophobic doggerel, I'm certain the rightists seeking to eviscerate intellectualism on college campuses would have left her alone.