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A Paradoxical Reality: the Blessings and Burdens of The A PARADOXICAL REALITY: THE BLESSINGS AND BURDENS OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE EDUCATIONAL LEADER A DISSERTATION IN Education Presented to the Faculty of the University of Missouri-Kansas City in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree DOCTOR OF EDUCATION by JENNIFER ALISIA COLLIER B.M., University of Kansas, 1999 M.A., Avila University, 2006 Ed.S., University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2008 Kansas City, Missouri, 2018 2018 JENNIFER ALISIA COLLIER ALL RIGHTS RESERVED A PARADOXICAL REALITY: THE BLESSINGS AND BURDENS OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN FEMALE EDUCATIONAL LEADER Jennifer A. Collier, Candidate for the Doctor of Education Degree University of Missouri-Kansas City, 2018 ABSTRACT The African-American female educational leadership experience is an interesting and unique journey toward personal and professional achievement. This journey proves to be quite precarious in that it is not unusual for these leaders to find themselves straddling the expectations of two marginalized realities: being Black and female. Consequently, many African-American women have had to shoulder a great psychological and social burden as they have pursued personal and professional excellence. This study utilized a heuristic, narratological case study approach to examine the ways in which Black female educational leaders maintain a sense of self while navigating the expectations, challenges, and barriers they encounter as they assume the leadership role. This approach allowed the telling of their own stories and experiences related to being Black, female, and an educational leader. The guiding research questions were: (1) How have life experiences affected the sense of self and identities of African-American female educational leaders? (2) What type of barriers/challenges do African-American women face as they attempt to balance sense of self with their respective leadership role? and (3) What sustains the African-American female educational leader when faced with challenges and setbacks, as they relate to being iii female and Black? The Black female educational leaders’ experiences were examined and explicated utilizing complementary theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Thought (BFT) and Critical Race Theory (CRT), Intersectionality, and Spirituality. This study extends current research on Black female educational leaders’ experiences and maintenance of their sense of self by examining several data sources, including an online questionnaire, in-depth interviews, observations, and dissertations. The results indicated that participants defined sense of self as knowing and being true to one’s self and one’s core values/beliefs. The research findings suggest that clear, purposeful systems of support need to be established in order to provide the conditions for Black female educational leaders to be heard, valued, and treated in an equitable manner to that of their non-Black, non-female counterparts. iv APPROVAL PAGE The faculty listed below, appointed by the Dean of the School of Education, have examined a dissertation titled “A Paradoxical Reality: The Blessings and Burdens of the African- American Female Educational Leader,” presented by Jennifer A. Collier, candidate for the Doctor of Education degree, and certify that in their opinion it is worthy of acceptance. Supervisory Committee Shirley Marie McCarther, Ed.D., Committee Chair Division of Educational Leadership, Policy & Foundations Loyce Caruthers, Ph.D. Division of Educational Leadership, Policy & Foundations Donna Davis, Ph.D. Division of Educational Leadership, Policy & Foundations Dianne Smith, Ph.D., Professor Emerita Division of Educational Leadership, Policy & Foundations v CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................................. ix LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................... x ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. xi PREFACE ....................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem .......................................................................... 6 The Purpose of the Study ........................................................................ 19 Research Questions ................................................................................. 21 Theoretical Frameworks ......................................................................... 22 Overview of Methodology ...................................................................... 36 Significance of the Study ........................................................................ 40 Summary ................................................................................................. 41 2. RELEVANT THEORIES ..................................................................................... 43 Black Feminist (Womanist) Theory ....................................................... 44 Critical Race Theory ............................................................................... 55 Intersectionality Theory .......................................................................... 66 Womanist Spirituality Theory ................................................................ 76 Summary ................................................................................................. 86 3. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ...................................................................... 87 The Historical View of Black Women as Public School Leaders .......... 89 vi Experiences of Black Women in the Academy .................................... 105 Invalidated Voices of Resounding Silence ........................................... 117 Alarming Absence of African-American Female Educational Leaders ............................................................................................ 129 4. METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................. 138 Rationale for Qualitative Research ....................................................... 140 Role of the Researcher .......................................................................... 155 Research Design ................................................................................... 159 Limitations including Validity, Reliability, Ethical Considerations, and Crystallization .......................................................................... 176 5. RESEARCH FINDINGS .................................................................................... 184 Overview of the Study .......................................................................... 184 African American/Black Female Educational Leader Online Questionnaire ..................................................................................... 186 Within-case Analysis for Individual Cases ........................................... 209 Cross-Case Analysis ............................................................................. 257 Summary of the Study .......................................................................... 265 6. SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND CONCLUSIONS ..................... 267 Answering the Research Questions ...................................................... 268 Implications for Practice ....................................................................... 276 Recommendations for Future Research ................................................ 279 Conclusion of the Study ........................................................................ 280 Closing Reflections ............................................................................... 281 vii APPENDIX A. Consent for Participation in a Research Study ................................................. 284 B. Email Transcripts .............................................................................................. 289 C. African American/Black Female Educational Leader Questionnaire .............. 291 D. Phone Transcript ............................................................................................... 297 E. Interview Guide African-American/Black Female Educational Leaders ......... 298 F. Research Observation Guide African-American/Black Female Educational Leaders .................................................................................... 299 G. IRB Study Approval ......................................................................................... 300 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................ 302 VITA ................................................................................................................................ 332 viii ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Workplace Barriers to Advancement for African-American Women in 2004 according to the Catalyst Study ............................................................ 136 ix TABLES Table Page 1. Black Female Educational Leader Themes and Interpretive Codes (Online Questionnaire) .................................................................................. 190 2. Black Female Educational
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