Three Tears for the Red, White, and Blue
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THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE: SELF-REALIZATION OF RACIAL IDENTITY AS A HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR _______________________________________ A Dissertation presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of Missouri-Columbia _______________________________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy _____________________________________________________ by MICHAEL KATEMAN Dr. Pilar Mendoza, Dissertation Supervisor DECEMBER 2017 THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE © Copyright by Michael Kateman 2017 All Rights Reserved THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE The undersigned, appointed by the dean of the Graduate School, have examined the dissertation entitled THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE: SELF-REALIZATION OF RACIAL IDENTITY AS A HIGHER EDUCATION ADMINISTRATOR presented by Michael Kateman, a candidate for the degree of doctor of philosophy, and hereby certify that, in their opinion, it is worthy of acceptance. Dr. Pilar Mendoza Dr. Sarah Diem Dr. Jeni Hart Dr. Heather Carver Dr. Cynthia Frisby THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE DEDICATION I dedicate my dissertation to one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all, and to Samuel Alfred Beadle, Esq. THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I understand now why acknowledgements are so important in a dissertation. No one could do this alone. Thank you does not seem adequate to the family, friends, and colleagues who have supported and encouraged me on this journey to a PhD. I am forever indebted and so very grateful to each of you. My dissertation committee has continually inspired me with their input and support. I am grateful to you all. Dr. Pilar Mendoza, thank you for being my advisor and dissertation committee chair. You have pushed me to be a better scholar from the beginning. You were so patient with me throughout my journey and you always seemed to know when I needed encouragement. Dr. Sarah Diem, I was blessed to take 4 classes earning 9 hours under your teaching. You taught me theory and methodology, pushing me to excel. Dr. Jeni Hart, studying under you opened my eyes to new possibilities for the next chapter of my career. You always provided such clear insight to my questions. Dr. Cyndi Frisby, you showed me I can be a quantitative researcher, have fun in the process, and get published in a peer-reviewed journal. You reignited in me a competitive academic spirit. Dr. Heather Carver, you believed this PhD journey was possible for me since serving as my dramaturg for Ruby Nelle in 1999 and continued to encourage me when we produced Being Frank in 2006 – both theatrical projects based on personal narrative. You helped me believe this degree was possible and never gave up on me. The Mizzou ELPA faculty I studied under created in me a desire to dive deeper into what I was learning. Specifically, Dr. Juanita Simmons, you blessed me by helping juxtapose the pursuit of social justice and leadership with my faith. Dr. James Sebastian, over lunch one day, you encouraged me to focus my research on my racial identity and THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE iii how it affects my leadership. Dr. Ty Douglas, you challenged and inspired my PhD journey in ways I never expected. Your teaching and guidance showed me leadership from new perspectives I will use for the rest of my career. Michael Middleton, you allowed me to tell your family story as a way to encourage people to become comfortable with the uncomfortable and share in new perspectives. You and your Great Grandfather Samuel Beadle inspired this dissertation. The Supporting Cast of Characters appearing in my dissertation has profoundly impacted my life and leadership for the good. I appreciate them for their authenticity and candor. Tracey Westfield, your editing and auditing skills are extraordinary. You blessed me with your gentle, yet firm challenges to my thought process, your encouragement, and grammatical expertise. Bob Bailey, for two decades you gave me wise counsel about pursuing a terminal degree. Dr. Jerry Brouder, you gave me the opportunity to fulfill my career dream at Columbia College and you told me I was never too old to earn a PhD. Dr. Eric Cunningham and Dr. Nathan Miller, your pursuit and completion of your PhDs inspired me to not give up on my dream to earn one. Dr. Terry Smith and Dr. Dave Roebuck, you believed I could do this, wrote letters of recommendation, and told me to get busy and never give up when I was accepted into the program. Dr. Ron Kelley, you have mentored me through this journey never afraid to ask me hard questions and always knowing when I needed encouragement. THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE iv My Facebook family and friends, you never let me down. When I needed a little boost, I just posted a photo or two alluding to my dissertation and you let the social media love flow. That was powerful. Mike and Robin Wilson, you take such good care of my horse, Teapot. She helped me balance the many aspects of my life during the PhD journey. Knowing she was in your good hands and I could just come to your farm to ride or drive her instantly relaxed me. An added bonus was being able to pray with you about the journey. Dale Simons and Lynne Baker, your prayers and encouragement along with our quarterly dinners kept me moving forward. Joyce Lake, you are my self-appointed godmother and fulfill that role in exceptional ways. Your ongoing love and support constantly amaze me. I am so very proud to be a “Lake Scholar.” Chad Kateman and Brady Kateman, a father could not ask for sons to be more supportive than you have been through this journey. You knew when I needed a diversion, when I needed encouragement, when I just needed to chill, and took action to make it happen. I am extremely proud of the men you are becoming. Beth Blumhorst, my dear, little sister, you encouraged me through this PhD pursuit in ways that remind me of how Mom would have encouraged me had she lived to see me go for it. Chris Blumhorst, you are an awesome brother-in-law who challenged me to think deeper after every conversation we had about my research. Dad and Lillian, your cards and emails kept me going when I was discouraged. Every time you told me you were proud of me, I was energized to keep moving forward. THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE v When I began my PhD journey, I never imagined God would lift up a PhD Prayer Group made up of classmates, yet He did. Kim Starks Berglund, Jude Kyoore, Jason McKinney, Rhodesia McMillian, Laura Page, Dena Bonds-Pinto, and Ransford Pinto, your faith in and commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ inspire me beyond measure. Our prayer gatherings and text messages continue to bless and encourage me. The Lord God Almighty, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit sustain me moment by moment every single day. I pray this dissertation, the next chapter of my career, and my life going forward will bring glory to the Holy Trinity. THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................ ii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................. xi LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................... xii Chapters 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 Racial Tensions at the University of Missouri ........................................................ 2 Historical Context for Missouri and Its University ............................................ 4 Mizzou’s Fall Semester 2015 ............................................................................. 8 Mizzou’s homecoming parade on October 10, 2015. ................................. 10 Hunger strike at Mizzou begins. ................................................................. 11 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 13 My Need to Reconcile My Patriotism and White Identity ............................... 15 Purpose and Significance ...................................................................................... 16 Research Question ................................................................................................ 18 Limitations ............................................................................................................ 19 Definition of Terms............................................................................................... 22 Summary ............................................................................................................... 27 2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ............................................................................... 28 Master Narrative of Whiteness ............................................................................. 31 White Racial Identity Development ................................................................. 33 THREE TEARS FOR THE RED, WHITE, AND BLUE vii White Supremacy .............................................................................................. 36 White Privilege, Fragility, Rage, and Fatigue .................................................. 39 Whiteness as Property and Investment ............................................................