The Intersectionality of Racial Battle Fatigue and Gendered Battle Fatigue on the Lived Experiences of Black Women in Educational Leadership
Open Access DepositedAre We Ok?
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Structural and institutional challenges, navigating intersectional discrimination, leading with purpose, wellness, and lessons for longevity. Ultimately, this research deepens understanding of how and why Black women educational leaders live, lead, and navigate the complexities of racism, sexism, homophobia, fatigue, and misogynoir in pursuit of purpose-driven leadership.
Are We Ok? Black women navigate life at the intersection of race and gender, often wearing interchangeable masks that shield, arm, translate, and make them more palatable in a world that has historically and consistently ignored their contributions. For Black women, the path to becoming an educational leader requires confronting structural and institutional barriers rooted in long-standing prejudice. Rogers-Ard and Knaus (2020) suggest that women and people of color must demonstrate exceptional resilience and determination to persevere within societal structures that have traditionally constrained their opportunities. But at what cost? What must Black women educational leaders (BWELs) confront to lead, and what does it take for them to endure?This study served as a documentary exploration of the lived experiences of six Black women high school principals and heads of upper school, examining how they managed Racial Battle Fatigue (RBF) and Gendered Battle Fatigue (GBF) while remaining in the field. The purpose of this narrative qualitative study was to deeply explore and understand BWELs’ positionality, experiences with RBF and GBF, and how these shaped their personal and professional lives. Narrative inquiry “begins with the experiences as expressed in lived and told stories of individuals” (Creswell & Poth, 2018, p. 67). This study’s primary aim was to create a platform for participants to authentically share their stories, honoring their voices and experiences. This approach was particularly suited to exploring Black women’s experiences with RBF, GBF, microaggressions, resilience, agency, mental health, and self-care. In essence, it asked
How are they doing while doing it all? The study’s conceptual and theoretical frameworks were grounded in Black Feminist Thought/Theory (BFT) (Collins, 1990, 2000). BFT provided a lens to identify and interpret the challenges Black women face related to race, gender, RBF, GBF, and microaggressions. This research examined how BWELs demonstrated resilience and agency, sustained their mental health, and claimed non-negotiable self-care. It also explored how they confronted and navigated problematic stereotypes such as the Strong Black Woman/Superwoman Schema (SBW/SWS), the “angry Black woman,” and the cumulative effects of microaggressions to remain effective in their leadership roles. Findings revealed the nuanced ways these leaders resisted and overcame racism, sexism, misogynoir, and homophobia. From the data analysis, five core themes emerged
The Intersectionality of Racial Battle Fatigue and Gendered Battle Fatigue on the Lived Experiences of Black Women in Educational Leadership
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