Race

Maylor, U., Roberts, L., Linton, K., & Arday, J. (2021). Race and educational leadership: The influence of research methods and critical theorising in understanding representation, roles and ethnic disparities. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(4), 553–564. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/174114322110227

The study examines racialized leadership in school and higher education across different geographical and educational contexts, including England, Canada, America, South Africa.
Various research methods and theoretical frameworks are employed, such as phenomenology, longitudinal studies, documentary analysis, semi-structured interviews, content analysis, and critical race theory.
The Black Lives Matter movement has drawn attention to the representation of non-white staff in leadership positions in higher education, highlighting the need to address structural racism and racial inequalities.
Racialized staff are underrepresented in senior academic and university leadership positions, with disparities noted in various countries such as England, Canada, and the US.
In Canada, racialized staff account for 8% of senior leaders at universities, with underrepresentation in administrative and faculty roles, particularly for women of color.
Studies focus on understanding racialized leadership experiences, including the roles occupied, leadership strategies employed, and theoretical approaches and methods used.
Counter storytelling practices are highlighted as a method to challenge dominant narratives, build community, and empower marginalized voices in research on racialized leadership experiences.
Quantitative research on racism is challenging due to its complexity, and critical analysis should be informed by experiential knowledge of marginalized groups.
The aim of the study is to explore ethnic representation and disparities in educational leadership, examine research approaches and theoretical frameworks used to understand racialized experiences, and assess the impact of race/ethnicity on leadership perceptions and approaches.
Six articles are analyzed, including studies on school leadership and higher education, with a focus on black women's leadership experiences.
Findings reveal challenges faced by racialized leaders, such as retention challenges, identity politics, and the intersectionality of race and gender in leadership roles.
Policy analysis in South Africa shows a lack of explicit reference to race and ethnicity in school principalship standards, reflecting a colorblind approach that fails to address entrenched racism.
In the UK, interviews with black and South Asian headteachers highlight the impact of educational policy on career decisions and professional identity development.
The stories shared in the study provide important lessons for improving educational leadership experiences for people of color in the future.

Shah, V., Aoudeh, N., Cuglievan-Mindreau, G., & Flessa, J. (2023). Tempering applied critical leadership: The im/possibilities of leading for racial justice in school districts. Educational Administration Quarterly, 59(1), 179–217. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0013161x221137877

Introduction:

Examines the dilemma between causing harm to racially oppressed families and students or to oneself as advocates for racial justice in systems entrenched in whiteness.
Explores experiences of six Black and Brown middle and senior district leaders in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Utilizes counter-narrative methodologies including in-depth oral history interviews and ongoing communication with participants.

Key Points:

Despite perceived notions of tolerance and multiculturalism in Canada, racism persists in Ontario, perpetuated by white logic, policies, and assumptions.
Anti-racist leadership in schools must respond to ongoing threats to the well-being, belonging, and safety of Black, Indigenous, and racialized students, staff, and families.
Movement for change requires labor and love from both insiders and outsiders, recognizing their essential but different roles and collective resistance.
Tempered radicals have dual commitments: to the organization and to a movement, cause, community, or ideology that challenges the dominant culture.
Applied Critical Leadership (ACL) draws on critical race theory to address educational issues and challenges by dismantling systemic barriers and creating new structures.

Tempered Radicals:

People who work within institutions while simultaneously striving to eradicate social injustice.
Maintain critical consciousness of their interconnected identities and political commitments, often challenging the status quo.
Engage in diverse, incremental, and subversive change tactics, while facing challenges such as feelings of isolation and co-option.

Applied Critical Leadership (ACL):

Interdisciplinary theoretical foundation drawing on transformative leadership, critical pedagogy, and critical multiculturalism.
Challenges common assumptions perpetuating inequities for Indigenous, Black, and racialized learners and their families and communities.
A departure from patriarchal leadership and management paradigms, emphasizing cultural diversity and inclusion.

Impossibilities and Challenges:

Leading for anti-racism within systems upholding white supremacy is fraught with difficulties, tensions, and paradoxes.
Participants faced personal and professional harm, navigating the direction of harm and complexities of complicity.
Strategies to disrupt oppression include naming issues, correcting assumptions, and demonstrating patterns of exclusion.

Accountability and Alliances:

Leaders navigate relationships with colleagues and hold them accountable for racial justice work, despite mistrust and differing expectations.
Metrics and expectations are often biased against racialized leaders, perpetuating invisibility or hyper-visibility.
Building alliances across differences and relying on support networks are crucial for sustaining the work.

Personal Voice and Power:

Finding one's voice and aligning with inner values empowers leaders to confront racism and oppression.
Leaders must navigate complex dynamics within organizations and communities, challenging the status quo while managing expectations.

Joy and Fulfillment:

Joy comes from representing and humanizing the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and racialized students and staff.
Personal fulfillment is found in aligning with one's purpose and speaking truth to power, despite challenges.
New Metrics for Equity and Anti-Racism:
- Educational institutions must redefine metrics to measure equity, anti-racism, anti-colonialism, and anti-oppression.
- Deeper understanding of how whiteness operates to undermine anti-racism efforts is necessary.
- Develop metrics to measure the frequency and impact of silences, nepotism, protection of racist educators, and anti-racist initiatives.
- Regular internal and external audits based on these metrics, with transparent sharing of results with communities.
- Evaluate educators and leaders with a strong track record of anti-racist practices and support and protect them.
Accountability Systems:
- Leaders with racist track records should face consequences, not just be moved to another position.
- Consultation with those most harmed by educational systems is crucial for understanding how whiteness operates and developing appropriate metrics.
- Reverse pipelines for racialized, anti-racist leaders should be established, involving collaboration between school boards, colleges, and unions.
Recruitment and Mentoring:
- Faculties of education should actively recruit candidates from historically underrepresented populations.
- School boards should create networks and mentoring opportunities for aspiring leaders from marginalized backgrounds.
Creating Conditions for Authentic Leadership:
- Educational institutions should create conditions for racialized leaders to lead authentically.
- Develop accountability measures for anti-racist work and support deep relationships with communities.
- Transition plans should be in place to promote anti-racist leaders into positions of greater power.
Training and Awareness:
- Those responsible for hiring and promotion should be trained to identify leadership qualities beyond institutional metrics.
- White leaders should engage in additional learning and reflection to understand their relations to race and racism.
- Strengthen parent and community coalitions to hold schools accountable and advocate for human rights.
Community Engagement and Advocacy:
- Scholars and community advocates should encourage, recruit, and support leaders committed to racial justice.
- Advocate for culturally responsive educational leaders and critique policies and practices.
- Support parent and community coalitions through co-creation of knowledge and accessible research.
Challenging Neat Models of Leadership:
- Leadership for racial justice should be seen as messy, ambiguous, and contextual, not neat and linear.
- Awareness of larger ecosystems for racial justice and the interconnectedness of roles.
Changing Metrics and Creating Structures:
- Metrics of leadership must center different knowledge systems and skills required for racial justice leadership.
- Reverse pipelines that exclude anti-racist leaders and involve learning, mentoring, and networking are essential.
- Support creation and growth of collective scholarship to hold institutions accountable.
Fostering Collective Possibilities:
- Blur lines between inside/outside, harmed/harming, and community/schooling to allow for collective and liberatory possibilities.

Livingston, R. (2020). How to promote racial equity in the workplace. Harvard Business Review, 98(5), 64–72. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=bth&AN=144910744&custid=s7439054

Racism and Workplace Leadership:
- Leaders possess significant control over norms and policies, making workplaces ideal for promoting racial equity.
- Progression through stages from understanding conditioning to correction is essential.
- Organizations should adopt proactive, long-term approaches to address racial equity.
Problem Awareness:
- Many whites may not perceive racism as a problem, believing systemic anti-white racism is increasing.
- Managers often fail to recognize racism within their organizations, attributing discrimination to individual actors.
- Race-neutral policies can enable discrimination, and commitment to diversity may not address underlying issues.
Root Cause Analysis:
- Racism may stem from psychological biases or structural factors such as laws and institutional practices.
- Managers tend to blame individuals rather than examining systemic issues, leading to racial disparities.
- Addressing racism requires swimming against the prevailing current, demanding effort and determination.
Empathy:
- Empathy is crucial for motivating action toward racial equity.
- Exposure and education can increase empathy, leading to solidarity and social justice.
- Leaders should facilitate psychologically safe listening sessions and provide education on racism's persistence.
Strategy:
- Effective strategies should address personal attitudes, informal cultural norms, and formal institutional policies simultaneously.
- Establishing an anti-racist organizational culture modeled by leaders is vital.
- Implementation of strategies is key, as the best plans are worthless without action.
Sacrifice:
- Organizations may desire diversity but hesitate to invest resources and commitment.
- Sacrifices may involve challenging assumptions about fairness and merit.
- Fair outcomes require treating people equitably, not necessarily equally, and may involve difficult decisions.
- Investing in diverse candidates and supporting their potential does not sacrifice quality.
- Leaders should host open conversations about racial equity, using their influence to drive progress at each stage of the model.

Genao, S., & Mercedes, Y. (2021). All we need is one mic: A call for anti-racist solidarity to deconstruct anti-black racism in educational leadership. Journal of School Leadership, 31(1-2), 127–141. https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1476&context=qc_pubs

Introduction:
- The article highlights the need for anti-racist solidarity in educational leadership to combat anti-black racism.
- It emphasizes the impact of COVID-19 on black, indigenous, and racialized communities, calling for action against racism and the pandemic.
- Principal preparation programs are urged to incorporate critical race theory (CRT) and anti-racist curriculum to address racial power dynamics.
Historical Implications on Principal Preparation Programs:
- Historical racism and slavery still affect education, leading to achievement gaps for black, indigenous, and racialized students.
- School leaders significantly influence teacher performance and student learning.
- Teacher preparation programs should prioritize cultural responsiveness and social justice in instructional leadership.
Defining Solidarity in Educational Leadership:
- Solidarity is essential for authentic alliance and transformative encounters in combating racism.
- Critical race theory underscores the systemic nature of racism, requiring disruption at every step of principal preparation.
- Leadership and teacher training programs often perpetuate white supremacy culture, hindering progress in racial equity.
Anti-Racist Solidarity of Knowledge:
- The article calls for increased awareness of systemic obstacles to racial equity and justice.
- It emphasizes the importance of anti-black scholarship in educational leadership and the need for solidarity across racial groups.
- Programs should engage in community support, strategic planning, and assessments to promote anti-racist agendas.
Moving Forward to Reimagined Solidarity:
- Educational leaders must prioritize anti-racist pedagogy and engage in difficult conversations about racism.
- Principal preparation programs should mobilize resources to center race, privilege, and diversity in curriculum and professional development.
- Integration of critical frameworks like CRT and intersectional black perspectives is essential to promote anti-racist solidarity.
Conclusion:
- The article underscores the importance of addressing internal biases and past traumas to envision and build a more just education system through anti-racist solidarity.

Garza, A., Cullors, P., & Tometi, O. (2013, October). An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/alicia_garza_patrisse_cullors_and_opal_tometi_an_interview_with_the_founders_of_black_lives_matter

Introduction to Black Lives Matter (BLM):
- BLM is a call to action aiming to reimagine a world where black people can exist and live freely, while urging white people to show up differently.
- It addresses the experiences of black people, asserting their right to be fought for and supported by the government.
- BLM is not just a movement for black people; it's a global human rights movement challenging systemic racism.
Understanding Systemic Racism:
- Systemic issues such as global warming and hurricanes disproportionately impact black people, highlighting the interconnectedness of racial justice.
- In the USA, race relations are often viewed through a black/white spectrum, where those closest to whiteness experience privileges.
Investing in Black Leadership:
- Instead of hoping for improvements to trickle down to black communities, there's a need to invest directly in black leadership and infrastructure.
- BLM advocates for the visibility and support of black leadership, emphasizing that when black people thrive, it benefits everyone.
Interdependence and Leadership:
- BLM promotes the idea of interdependence, where different individuals contribute their strengths to create a unified team.
- Leadership within BLM is viewed as collective and supportive, rejecting the notion that it has to be lonely or individualistic.
Challenges and Hope:
- BLM founders express concern about the deification of leaders and the transformation of activists into celebrities, which can detract from collective problem-solving.
- Despite challenges, hope is found in the resilience of immigrant communities and the ongoing resistance efforts of marginalized groups.
- Older individuals stepping into leadership roles and the willingness to listen to diverse experiences contribute to hope for a more just world.
Call to Action:
- Individuals are encouraged to get involved in BLM and other social justice groups, whether by joining existing initiatives or starting their own.
- The importance of collective action and activism is emphasized as a means to effect meaningful change in society.

Lopez, A. E., & Jean-Marie, G. (2021). Challenging anti-black racism in everyday teaching, learning, and leading: From theory to practice. Journal of School Leadership, 31(1/2), 50–65. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1052684621993115

Abstract:

The article addresses the pervasive issue of anti-Black racism within educational institutions, highlighting its embedded nature in policies, practices, and ideologies. Drawing on critical race theory (CRT), the authors argue for a transformative approach to addressing anti-Black racism in teaching, learning, and leadership. By acknowledging the intersectionality of race and other aspects of identity, educators are urged to confront systemic racism and white supremacy, both in theory and practice. The framework presented emphasizes the importance of naming, owning, framing, and sustaining efforts to challenge anti-Black racism, ultimately advocating for systemic change and the promotion of equity and justice in education.

Key Points:

Understanding Anti-Black Racism: Anti-Black racism is deeply ingrained in institutional structures and perpetuated by ideologies of whiteness and white supremacy. It intersects with other aspects of identity and must be addressed through a comprehensive understanding of its historical and contemporary manifestations.
Educator Responsibility: Educators have a responsibility to challenge anti-Black racism in their everyday practices, acknowledging its impact on Black learners and communities. This requires moving beyond theoretical discussions to practical actions aimed at dismantling racist systems and fostering inclusivity.
Framework for Action: The framework presented includes four key components: naming, owning, framing, and sustaining. Educators must first acknowledge and name anti-Black racism, take ownership of their role in perpetuating or challenging it, intentionally frame their actions to address systemic racism, and sustain efforts for lasting impact.
Collective Action: Challenging anti-Black racism requires collective action and systemic change at all levels of the education system, from classrooms to school districts. It involves creating opportunities for dialogue, reflection, and collaboration among educators, students, and communities.
Integration of Critical Race Theory: Critical race theory provides a valuable framework for understanding and addressing anti-Black racism in education. It emphasizes the intersectionality of race and other forms of oppression, encourages race-conscious approaches to policy and practice, and challenges the underlying structures of systemic racism.
Continued Reflection and Action: Addressing anti-Black racism is an ongoing process that requires continuous reflection, dialogue, and action. Educators must be willing to confront their own biases, engage in difficult conversations, and work collaboratively to create equitable and just learning environments.

In summary, the article underscores the urgent need for educators to confront and challenge anti-Black racism in education through a transformative and action-oriented approach. By adopting a framework that emphasizes naming, owning, framing, and sustaining efforts, educators can work towards systemic change and the promotion of equity and justice for all students.

Lorenzetti, L., Mancey, A., Walsh, C. A., & Lantion, V. (2023). Immigrant men and racism in Canada: Impacts on well-being and family wellness. Canadian Ethnic Studies Journal, 55(1), 1. https://research.ebsco.com/c/4ax45t/viewer/pdf/csvwgrbqwn

Introduction to the Study
- Highlights challenges faced by immigrant men in Canada, including cultural and linguistic barriers, underemployment, and discrimination.
- Focus on how racism impacts well-being and family wellness.
- Utilizes feminist, participatory action research approach.
Research Methodology
- Group of men and women involved in a community-based violence prevention group.
- Three focus groups conducted to explore experiences of racialized immigrant men.
- Research guided by three main questions.
- Identified three interconnected factors: migratory and resettlement stress, family wellness barriers, and resilience.
- Racism identified as a significant overarching construct affecting all factors.
Challenges of Migration and Resettlement
- Migration driven by globalization and neoliberal immigration policies.
- Structural discrimination creates barriers to employment, credential recognition, and housing.
- Racialized resettlement differs from white migration experiences.
Racialized Resettlement
- Focus on language and cultural barriers obscures racial equity issues.
- Multiculturalism narrative contradicts realities of racialized settlement.
- Heightened health vulnerabilities due to racialization and resettlement experiences.
Experiences of Racialized Immigrant Men
- Literature often focuses on women, but men face unique challenges.
- Mental health impacts and family wellness affected by racialized resettlement.
- Intersectionality used as a research methodology.
Factors Influencing Well-Being
- Migratory and resettlement stress factors include pre-migration trauma, uncertainty, and loss of hope.
- Unmet expectations underscored by racism and discrimination.
- Family wellness barriers include disconnection from support systems and isolation.
Domestic Violence and Family Conflict
- Immigration policies and gender roles contribute to domestic violence.
- Systemic racism influences help-seeking behaviors among victims.
- Lack of culturally relevant services exacerbates family conflict.
Resilience and Coping Strategies
- Immigrants employ internal resources like spirituality and hard work.
- Collective cultural values mitigate some challenges.
- Parallels drawn between experiences of racialized immigrants and indigenous peoples.
Recommendations and Conclusion
- Urges policy changes to address systemic racism.
- Emphasizes the need for anti-racist frameworks in policies and services.
- Calls for transformational change to improve personal, family, and community well-being.