AbstractIn this chapter, we discuss the significance of social justice and equity in community college leadership. By examining the intersections between social justice and equity, we sought to understand the role that community college leaders play in applying these approaches. To contextualize our discussion, we outlined key challenges that community college leaders face in developing and implementing these equity‐driven and social justice‐oriented practices. This chapter serves as an introduction to the New Directions in Community Colleges volume dedicated to operationalizing and applying equity and social justice‐driven leadership in community colleges.