Award Date

12-15-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Educational Psychology, Leadership, and Higher Education

First Committee Member

Maria Roberts

Second Committee Member

Doris L. Watson

Third Committee Member

Megan Griffard

Fourth Committee Member

Iesha Jackson

Number of Pages

219

Abstract

Being a Black Woman public school principal is an intensified, all-encompassing yet rewarding role, marked by disparities that our white counterparts are not forced to navigate. Inspired by the daily, distressed calls from novice Black Women principals seeking support in their roles and personal experience, this qualitative study employs the Sista Circle Methodology (SCM) to explore their perceptions of principal preparation programs, professional support, and persistence strategies within the first five years of appointment in a large urban school district. Framed by Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1990), the study examines the social, gender, cultural, and experiential contexts unique to Black Women in principal preparation programs, contrasting with the hegemonic norm. Black Feminist Thought acknowledges that its themes—work, family, sexual politics, motherhood, and political activism—are grounded in paradigms subjugated by white male dominance, highlighting the necessity of empowering voices often marginalized. Using culturally relevant SCM, the study amplifies the lived professional experiences of these principals, fostering healing and empowerment as they share in their authentic African American Vernacular English. Findings affirm and uplift Black Women leaders while offering insights to policymakers, researchers, universities, and districts aiming to enact equitable shifts in preparation practices for all marginalized principal groups.

Keywords

African American women; Black Feminist Thought; Black Woman; Black women principals; SCM; Sista Circles

Disciplines

Education | Educational Leadership | Race, Ethnicity and Post-Colonial Studies

File Format

PDF

File Size

1704 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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