Black Narcissus: The Role of the Suburban Othermother by Kelli A. Hughes A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education (Metropolitan Education) at the University of Michigan-Dearborn 2019 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Christopher Burke, Chair Professor Paul Fossum Assistant Professor Terri Laws Professor Maureen Linker Copyright © Kelli A. Hughes 2019 All Rights Reserved i Dedication To my grandmothers, Marie Jarrell, Mother Virginia Doris Rogers Swanson, Dr. Lillian Delores McFadden, and the rest of the othermothers who have gone before me. ii Table of Contents Dedication................................................................................................................................ i Abstract .................................................................................................................................. 1 Preface .................................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter 1. Introduction and Context ......................................................................................... 3 Context ........................................................................................................................ 5 Black Population Trends ................................................................................... 5 History of Black Education ............................................................................... 7 The Achievement Gap....................................................................................... 9 Low expectations .................................................................................... 9 Involuntary immigrants ..........................................................................10 Decline of Black teachers .......................................................................13 Chapter 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................................16 Literature Review ........................................................................................................16 Moral Obligation .............................................................................................17 Care Ethics Criticisms ......................................................................................19 African and African American Spirituality and Social Ethics .............................22 Virtues ...................................................................................................23 Black Feminism and Womanism. .....................................................................25 Black feminist thought ...........................................................................27 Womanism ............................................................................................31 Black Feminist Care .........................................................................................33 Respect for the whole person ..................................................................33 iii Political clarity .......................................................................................36 Othermothering ......................................................................................39 The Role of Black Teachers .............................................................................43 Care during segregation ..........................................................................43 Culturally relevant critical teacher care ...................................................45 Warm demanders.......................................................................46 Teachers as othermothers .......................................................................49 Chapter 3. Method ..................................................................................................................53 Method .......................................................................................................................53 Phenomenological Approach ............................................................................54 Black Feminist Autoethnography......................................................................55 Personal Biography ..........................................................................................56 Critical self-narrative ............................................................................57 Site Selection and Sampling Strategies .............................................................58 Access, Role, Reciprocity, Trust, and Rapport...................................................61 Ethical and Political Considerations ..................................................................62 Data Collection Methods ..................................................................................63 Interviews ............................................................................................63 Shadowing ...........................................................................................64 Focus groups ........................................................................................64 Data Analysis Procedures .................................................................................66 Analysis ...............................................................................................66 Grounded .............................................................................................68 iv Purpose-driven .....................................................................................69 Nurturing servant-leader .......................................................................69 Procedures to Address Trustworthiness and Credibility .....................................70 Chapter 4. Results and Data Analysis ......................................................................................72 Results and Data Analysis ...........................................................................................72 Teacher Narratives ...........................................................................................74 Bonnie Adams ......................................................................................74 Grounded ..................................................................................76 Purpose .....................................................................................78 Nurturing servant-leader ............................................................80 Zoe Johnson .........................................................................................82 Grounded ..................................................................................83 Purpose .....................................................................................86 Nurturing servant-leader ............................................................87 Gerrie Smith .........................................................................................89 Grounded ..................................................................................90 Purpose .....................................................................................92 Nurturing servant-leader ............................................................93 Pattie Quinn .........................................................................................95 Grounded ..................................................................................97 Purpose .....................................................................................99 Nurturing servant-leader .......................................................... 101 Jackie Parks ........................................................................................ 104 v Grounded ................................................................................ 106 Purpose ................................................................................... 109 Nurturing servant-leader .......................................................... 111 Riley Davis......................................................................................... 113 Grounded ................................................................................ 115 Purpose ................................................................................... 119 Nurturing servant-leader .......................................................... 121 Natalie White ..................................................................................... 122 Grounded ................................................................................ 124 Purpose ................................................................................... 126 Nurturing servant-leader .......................................................... 128 Chapter 5. Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations ...................................................... 134 Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations ........................................................... 134 Self-Reflection ............................................................................................... 135 Summary of Findings ..................................................................................... 137 Grounded ........................................................................................... 139 Purpose-driven ................................................................................... 140 Nurturing