Bringing Our Folding Chair To The Table: Adopting Social Justice Through The Retention Of Black Women Educational Leaders
A dissertation in the Isabelle Farrington College of Education and Human Development presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education.
Abstract
This Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP) qualitative research study aimed to investigate targeted interventions and resources designed to create empowering environments for Black women educational leaders who are impacted by the intersectionality of gender and race. Intersectionality creates additional challenges for these leaders who grapple with additional challenges as Black women which negatively impact their access to leadership positions and their ability to be retained long term in that position. The loss of Black women educational leaders has a detrimental impact on the leadership pipeline for Black women, negative impacts on marginalized students, and continues to widen the gap between the increasingly diverse student body population and the educators who educate them. The goal of this research is to create a culture of empowerment, self-advocacy, and connection to increase the likelihood of retention of Black women educational leaders through weekly affinity groups. Participants engaged in a 6-week affinity group intervention asynchronously that explored the aspects of the intervention which cultivated their empowerment, connection, and self-advocacy skills by engaging in discussion and reflection. This study provides research aligned strategies to support the retention of Black women educational leaders by empowering them.
