Leading from the Margins: Reimagining Educational Leadership Through Black Feminist and Critical Race Theories

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Perspectives in Educational Leadership

Abstract

This conceptual literature review reimagines educational leadership through the lens of feminist theory, Black feminist thought, and critical race theory (CRT). It examines how race, gender, and emotion influence the work of equity-oriented school leaders, particularly women and leaders of color. Drawing on frameworks such as critical hope, emotional labor, and racial battle fatigue, the paper critiques mainstream organizational theories. It emphasizes the political and epistemological dimensions of leading from the margins. This work contributes to justice-centered leadership theory by naming the emotional and identity-based labor that supports transformative practice in racialized institutions.

Author

• Charo D. Darwin, Claremont Graduate University