The Invisible Aches of Being a Black Rural Principal in a Predominantly White School
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2025.v15n1p214-244Keywords:
African American/Black principals, rural principals, autoethnography, double consciousnessAbstract
This autoethnographic study addresses a critical gap in research regarding the experiences of Black principals, particularly those operating outside of urban settings. While there is extensive literature on Black urban principals, their counterparts in rural areas remain strikingly understudied. In response to this absence of scholarship, this autoethnographic research, grounded in W.E.B. DuBois’s double consciousness, served two purposes: (a) to understand my experiences as a rural principal in a predominantly White school and (b) to understand how those experiences informed my leadership practices and self-view. Through personal vignettes, I provide a glimpse into and an examination of pivotal moments of how I experienced rural principalship by shedding light on the intersection of race, locale, and leadership. I provide a voice to the lived experiences of rural principalship, which contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of educational leadership. From this (re)examination, I illuminate how those experiences created a template for my work as a principal beyond a rural context.
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