Kinship and Coalition: Black and Indigenous Women's Leadership in Education for Critical Hope and Healing

• In Event: Dreamweaving Our Radical Elsewhere: Black and Indigenous Women in Educational Leadership on Healing and Purpose

Abstract

Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Black and Indigenous women school leaders in Ontario, Canada. The research questions were:
1. How do Black and Indigenous school leaders define the challenges, promise and potential of their work as school administrators?
2. How do they address (or attempt to address) inequities in the systems across their school?
3. What are the individual and collective needs for healing for Black and Indigenous women educational leaders?

Theoretical Framework:
This study was guided by Black feminist thought (Hill-Collins, 2000; hooks, 1984. 2015a), Indigenous feminisms (Green, 2007; Suzack, 2015; Suzack et al, 2010; Smith, 2005), and critical race theory in education (Ladson-Billing & Tate 1995), specifically, the tenets of intersectionality (Crenshaw, 2017) and counter-storytelling (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002).

Methods:
The data collection and analysis were framed by critical race methodology (CRM) (Solórzano & Yosso, 2002) and comprehensive thematic analysis (Boyatzis, 1998). All interview transcripts underwent two rounds of coding on NVivo. The first round was descriptive (Creswell, 2003). The descriptive codes were then reorganized for emerging themes. For the second round of coding, the authors employed a comprehensive thematic analysis of each participant’s contribution to guide collective meaning-making (Boyatzis, 1998). The authors also employed dream-weaving (Lorenz, 2014; Karunanayaka et al., 2016) to foster a deeper understanding of how Black and Indigenous women build coalitions for collective healing and resistance of colonial practices in Ontario’s education system.

Data:
This qualitative study employed the snowball sampling method (Woodley & Lockard, 2016) where 15 participants who filled the role of principal or vice principal were ethically recruited. The Primary Investigator conducted semi-structured interviews with each participant over Zoom (Brown & Danaher, 2019). The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and shared with participants for member checking (Harvey, 2015).

Results:
In our study, the leadership exhibited by Black and Indigenous women extends beyond traditional notions of leadership, emphasizing coalition building as a critical component. These women are not only leading the way in educational settings but are also engaging in processes of collective healing and resistance. Central to their approach is a willingness to challenge the status quo head-on, a metaphoric act of facing the sun, even if it might burn. Their healing processes are deeply rooted in their personal and home communities, while their resilience creates opportunities for collaboration and solidarity with other Black and Indigenous women. This dual focus on self and communal healing highlights the transformative potential of their work in education and beyond, and thus provides embodied examples of a path forward where Black and Indigenous women in educational leadership are seen and held central to the educational spaces and world we want to build.

Scholarly Significance:
In alignment with the conference theme, our research highlights how Black and Indigenous women lead in educational spaces. Their efforts address systemic inequities and foster inclusive educational environments. Aligning with the conference's focus on using research to drive educational justice, by emphasizing healing, our study underscores the critical role of solidarity and shared purpose in realizing democratic ideals and improving educational outcomes for all.

Authors

• Whitneé L. Garrett-Walker, University of San Francisco

• Jasmine Pham, University of Toronto - OISE

• Nia Spooner, University of Toronto