If Not You Then Whom? A Black Principal's Self-Integration of Antiblackness and Leadership Practices

• In Event: Blackness in Schools: Surviving and Thriving in Hostile Environments

Abstract

This case study sheds light on the experiences and introspection of Ms. Holiday, a veteran school leader. She participates in a university-sponsored Partnership to build and sustain leadership pipelines for Detroit’s schools. We explored Ms. Holiday’s discovery of critical theories and conceptualizations of deficit thinking during the co-constructed project.
This paper speaks to the need for rigorous preparation programming that intentionally identifies and redresses white supremacy. These curriculums facilitate anti-Black racism and seek to establish equity and fairness for Black students, families, and communities. The authors examined her journey of critical self-reflection. They chronicled her process to establish equity and justice, delineating her efforts to change oppressive discipline policies with resistant students, parents, and staff.

Authors

• Donya Odom, Eastern Michigan University

• Rema Reynolds, Eastern Michigan University