VOICES OF RESILIENCE: THE JOURNEY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN SUPERINTENDENTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS
Semester of Graduation
Fall 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education degree in EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Department
Educational Leadership
Committee Chair/First Advisor
Dr. Chinasa Elue
Second Advisor
Dr. Sheryl Croft
Third Advisor
Dr. Nichole Guillory
Abstract
The dissertation titled "Voices of Resilience: The Journey of African American Women Superintendents in Public School Systems" addresses a critical gap in educational leadership research by focusing on the experiences and challenges faced by African American women superintendents. African American women remain significantly underrepresented in the superintendency despite increasing diversity within K–12 student populations and the educational workforce. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of African American women superintendents, with particular attention to the systemic barriers they encounter and the resilience strategies they employ to navigate leadership. Guided by Black Feminist Theory, this study centered the intersection of race and gender as a critical lens for understanding leadership, identity, and power. Using a narrative inquiry approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with five African American women superintendents. The study concludes that African American women superintendents enact leadership that is both transformative and justice-centered, reframing resilience as a collective and strategic practice rather than an individual coping mechanism. This research contributes to educational leadership scholarship by amplifying marginalized voices and advancing an intersectional understanding of leadership in public education.