The “Audacity of Hope” in Educational Leadership: Black Women’s Perspectives Moving From Margin to Center

• In Event: Roundtable Session 90
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership and Vision for Black Education in the 21st Century

Abstract

In his text Race Matters, Cornel West (1994) with reference to Black America defined nihilism as “a philosophic doctrine that there are no rational grounds for legitimate standards or authority; it is far more, the lived experience of coping with a life of horrifying meaninglessness, hopelessness, and (most important) lovelessness (pp. 22-23). Ten years later in Democracy Matters (2004), he noted that nihilism has now spread to Americans of all races and that “many have given up even being heard” and they have succumbed to “sour cynicism, political apathy, and cultural escapism” (p.27) The current political climate, both inside and outside of the academy, breeds a space where social injustice is the norm and democracy no longer matters. It has been the dark night of the soul, a space that has “a lengthy and profound absence of light and hope” (www.themystic.org). Using West’s notions of nihilism with a specific focus on Black women leaders, this paper will analyze how paternalistic nihilism and neoliberal hegemony have a stronghold in the preparation of educational leaders. The paper will also offer possible ways to mitigate this phenomenon for the future of the field.

Authors

• Judy A. Alston, Ashland University

• Cristi Ford, University of Missouri - Columbia

• Latish Cherie Reed, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee