Negotiating Double Diaspora & Identity: Journeys of Indo Caribbean, Afro Caribbean, and Multiracial Educational Leaders

• In Event: Storying Intersectionality for Collective Thriving: Dignity and Wisdom Across Cultures, Generations, Space and Time

Abstract

This study examines how Indo Caribbean, Afro Caribbean, and multiracial educational leaders in the United States and Canada construct, negotiate, and navigate their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities across their formative experiences, professional trajectories, and leadership journeys. Drawing from their lived experiences, this study explores how these leaders make sense of their identities in relation to their leadership practices, career pathways, and interactions within educational spaces. It considers the ways in which migration histories, cultural backgrounds, and multigenerational influences shape their perspectives on leadership.
The study highlights how leaders engage in ongoing reflection as they move through environments shaped by ambiguity, external perception, and institutional expectations. Their narratives reveal the tensions, challenges, and insight that come with leading while carrying layered identities. This research also examines how affirming and non-affirming contexts influence professional and personal identity development, and how deeply held values guide leadership approaches. By centering the experiences of these leaders, this study offers a grounded understanding of how identity, leadership, and emotional labor intersect in daily practice. These narratives speak to the persistence, care, and clarity it takes to lead in systems that often overlook complexity. Leadership shaped through these lived experiences challenges narrow models and opens space for approaches that reflect the realities of those doing the work.

Author

• Regina Hardatt, University of Pennsylvania