Notes from the Front Porch: Social Justice Leadership in the South

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 11:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: International and Post-Colonial Contexts for Social Justice Leadership

Abstract

This study explores the practice of social justice leadership in the U.S. South, where political resistance often compels leaders to engage in “front porch” behaviors—strategic, public-facing acts of equity that conceal more radical internal efforts. Using Flood’s (2019) Social Justice Behavior Scale, we surveyed 179 school leaders across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Leaders reported engaging more frequently in private, self-reflective and school-specific equity actions than in public, community-minded ones. Public-facing behaviors were significantly predicted by race and school demographics. These findings illuminate the nuanced strategies of Southern leaders and challenge deficit narratives, offering insights for enacting justice in politically oppositional contexts.

Authors

• Brandi N. Hinnant-Crawford, Clemson University

• Jacquelyn Williams, Clemson University