University of St. Thomas, Minnesota UST Research Online Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership School of Education Spring 2015 Reconceptualizing Leadership through the Prism of the Modern Civil Rights Movement: A Grounded Theory Case Study on Ella Baker Edna R. Comedy University of St. Thomas, Minnesota, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation Comedy, Edna R., "Reconceptualizing Leadership through the Prism of the Modern Civil Rights Movement: A Grounded Theory Case Study on Ella Baker" (2015). Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership. 57. https://ir.stthomas.edu/caps_ed_lead_docdiss/57 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at UST Research Online. It has been accepted for inclusion in Education Doctoral Dissertations in Leadership by an authorized administrator of UST Research Online. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Reconceptualizing Leadership through the Prism of the Modern Civil Rights Movement: A Grounded Theory Case Study on Ella Baker A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA By Edna R. Comedy IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF EDUCATION 2014 ii UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS Reconceptualizing Leadership through the Prism of the Modern Civil Rights Movement: A Grounded Theory Case Study on Ella Baker We certify that we have read this dissertation and approved it as meeting departmental criteria for graduating with honors in scope and quality. We have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the final examining committee have been made. Dissertation Committee __________________________________________ Dr. John D. Holst, EdD, Committee Chair __________________________________________ Dr. Stephen D. Brookfield, PhD, Committee Member ___________________________________________ Dr. Laurie Anderson Sathe, EdD, Committee Member ___________________________________________ Final Approval Date iii Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my mother, Carrie. A mere acknowledgement is simply insufficient. She deserves much more. Madear, you left this physical world approximately nineteen years ago on May 5, 1995, leaving behind my twelve siblings and me, nineteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren, and a cadre of other people who truly loved and adored you. You planted in me the seeds of curiosity about many things. Those seeds germinated, took roots, and completed their life cycle—today, in the form of this dissertation. Though you never attended college yourself, you encouraged my siblings and me to “better yourself.” We knew your words not only meant graduating high school but also college. Throughout this academic journey, I have felt your incredible presence. Right now, I imagine you looking down from your rightful place at the foot of God’s throne and saying: “Well done, Edna!” Madear, I miss you as though it were yesterday that God called you Home. Though your death continues to weigh heavy on my heart, I find some solace in knowing you are resting in eternal peace. And Christ said to her: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21, King James Version). iv Abstract Guiding this research inquiry was a constructivist grounded theory case study—though interspersed throughout are various framing characteristics of a biographical study and oral history. Neither a biographical study nor oral history would have been an appropriate research method for achieving the purpose of this study. The purpose of this study was to reconceptualize the leadership of Ella Baker during the modern Civil Rights Movement, to develop a leadership framework in which her community and political activism naturally fits, and to place her leadership style in a broader framework of research. Using a purposeful sampling and criterion-based selection strategy, this study relied on responses of five (n=5) research participants to fifteen open-ended questions using a semi-structured interview protocol. All research participants are SNCC veterans and civil rights activists; each interacted frequently with Ella Baker. Results suggested the liberation leadership framework had the greatest potential for explaining Ella Baker’s leadership philosophy and leader-behaviors. Liberation leadership is a “process in which leaders” do not lead others but rather are “members of a community of practice, i.e. people united in a common enterprise, who share a history and thus certain values, beliefs, ways of talking, and ways of doing things” (O’Donovan, 2007, p. 30). The explanatory nature of this study narrows the gap in current social movement literature on Ella Baker’s leadership. Key words: adult education, Black feminist thought, community organizing, critical consciousness, double-choice, double-consciousness, double culture, feminist theory, informal learning, liberation leadership, nonformal learning, patriarchy, problem-posing education, organic intellectuals, outsider-within, traditional intellectuals. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In all that I do, I give thanks to God for His blessings, goodness, and guidance. Without Him in my life, I know reaching this point would not have been possible. I praise His Holy name. Completing this dissertation is only one of the countless reasons for my gratitude. This dissertation took several years to research and write. Many people played invaluable roles in making this occasion a reality. First among these is the love of my life, Ernie. You provided me throughout this journey your unconditional love, support, and encouragement. Your gentleness, kind words of inspiration, and unassuming presence helped me stay the course. To my two sons, Gary and Andy, I thank God for you. You never let me forget the depth of your love and the pride you felt for me after learning I had decided to pursue my doctorate. Mere words cannot convey the strength of my devotion to you. To my two younger sisters, Debra and Vickie, I cannot begin to enumerate the many reasons I thank God for you. Throughout this academic journey, you were extremely confident I would complete my coursework and defend my dissertation successfully. You provided encouragement, love, and your continuous support. Indeed, you are a God sent. To two of my dear colleagues and friends, Nancy and Sharon, who provided peer debriefings and support, I owe you so much. You provided critical insights, which I knew emanated from your own experiences as researchers and, in the case of Nancy, your own experiences as a social scientist and one who served on and chaired many dissertation committees. To my dissertation committee, Drs. John Holst, Stephen Brookfield, and Laurie Anderson Sathe, I am extremely grateful for your willingness to serve on my committee. You graciously agreed to assume this responsibility with a clear understanding of the time vi commitment involved. In the aggregate, you brought to the committee a strong commitment to my academic success and a depth and range of knowledge and scholarship in adult education, critical pedagogy, and feminist theory. I benefited greatly from them all. I extend a very special thanks to Dr. John Holst, my dissertation chairperson, who agreed to play this vital role. You are one of the most patient individuals and sage advisers I have ever known. You helped me expand my intellectual boundaries and spheres of analysis. Without your guidance, reaching this point would have been difficult and this journey more protracted. Thank you, thank you all! vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication....................................................................................................................................iii Abstract. .......................................................................................................................................iv Acknowledgement.........................................................................................................................v CHAPTER ONE: Introduction………………………………………………..........................1 Researcher’s Positionality…………………………………………………............................1 Problem Statement…………………………………………………………...........................5 Significance of the Problem....................................................................................................7 Purpose of the Study…….......................................................................................................9 Research Questions………………………………………………………….......................10 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………….........................10 Feminist Theory………………………………………………………........................10 Adult Education Theory……………………………………………............................12 Importance of the Study to the Field of Leadership..............................................................14 Organization of the Study.....................................................................................................15 Definition of Terms...............................................................................................................16 CHAPTER TWO: Starting from the Beginning: The Case of Ella Josephine Baker........20 Developing a Community Organizing Ideology...................................................................23