Intersectionality

In this section, to show the awareness of intersectionality in leadership practice, I present the narratives of Lisa Grant, John Chambers, Mia Stanfield, and Lesley Kirkpatrick. The significance of intersectionality is that it brings us to recognize how our various identities

influence how we are socially constructed (Crenshaw, 1991). Awareness of the various points where our identities intersect, then, can better inform us on the inequities based on multiple categories. Some participants provided me, I believe, insight to how they expand their emphasis of impartiality beyond the binary lens race identity to include various intersectionalities. The participants’ recognition of the influence of intersectionality is centered on both students and themselves. For example, the participants revealed their endeavors to challenge inequities for student based on socioeconomic conditions, language, immigration status (refugees), and religion.

In addressing efforts on racial open-mindedness, Dr. Grant argues that we must not neglect the influence poverty has on students. Dr. Grant recognizes something of the link effects of race and class, effects that cannot be ignored. She connects confronting the issues of race and poverty as a moral imperative. She states,

We get back to Dr. King's last book, Where Do We Go From Here? And he really was addressing poverty. . . . And so, I think it's a moral imperative for us, bringing it all home, that we do address that issue of poverty. It is as important as race, but I think that it's fueled by race. Because we almost believe that there is a certain group of people that don't deserve to have anything, because they haven't worked for anything. And there's so many things that have occurred to get us to be where we are, and we won't address them. I think it's, yes, a moral imperative to address that.

Above, Dr. Grant highlights confronting both race and class disadvantages many of her students. Dr. Grant demonstrates her own awareness of the importance acknowledging intersectionality. She reveals something of her impartial leadership practice informed by knowledge of inequalities based on race and class.

Mia Stanfield, in response to the context of her student demographics, recognizes her leadership efforts require intervening for students about race, ethnicity, and language. She states

the source of her advocacy as “just who I am and the children that I am serving.” And, she has come to feel that “this school gets a lot of stigma because we're serving poor, black children. And children that are coming to the United States . . . that have been refugees or have come here on asylum and different things.” Mia Stanfield recognizes the context of her school has pushed her to expand her advocacy of impartiality dealing with students of various countries and their immigration and refugee status. She comments,

And so my passion around equity . . . it's heightened over the last few years and I would say it's because of the population that I am serving here. High levels of English Language Learners, percentages of English Language Learners, you know, immigrants and refugees that have come from very distressed countries . . . that are here now and are still not getting the supports that they need.

In this above statement, Mia Stanfield reveals how her striving efforts have been augmented to provide those students with immigrant identities with impartiality. Such an insight by Ms. Stanfield has shown her ability to understand and share the feeling of others and to support her being a leader that willingly addresses those inequities students face due to both immigration status and to language.

Mr. Chambers is a third school leader who provides the context of how he engages his efforts toward balance on the subject of religion. Mr. Chambers reveals something of a personal conflict with the equity mandate in his district. Mr. Chambers states that his “district is tacking [the equity] issue now, but they are tackling it solely in black versus white way. And I brought to the discussion cultural matters, religious, and ethnic matters that transcend the black-white worldview.” Mr. Chambers reveals to me that his district defines equity in the binary categories of black-and-white and of high-achievement and low-achievement. Yet, through his balanced leadership, Mr. Chambers has helped his district begin appreciating “entering the totality of the

diversity into the discussion, ‘cause it transcends black-white.” Also, in response to the demographic of his students, Mr. Chambers recognizes the significance of acknowledging all religions as being a focal point of his balanced efforts. He reveals to me a vanguard action he took to validate Islamic holidays. He proudly states to me,

And in a lot of verbiage and the way people talk, they think that Christian holidays get kids off or maybe Jewish holidays. But I, in my particular system, I instituted Islamic holidays as days where students can take [off] without using up an official absence.

Mr. Chambers clearly demonstrates his engagement with balance has meant supporting students at the intersectionality of religion. Mr. Chambers readily engages his leadership practices both to appreciate and to respect all religions. Indeed, he extends his balanced leadership practices beyond the black-white binary borders to the less discussed inequities of religion.

And finally, Dr. Kirkpatrick shares the influence of her own various identity categories. Dr. Kirkpatrick revealed to me how she has recurringly confronted various challenges because of her own identities of race, gender, and age. She shares with me the challenges in her role as a school principal. She states,

So one of the big things that I always dealt with in my whole career has been ageism. Because I started as a principal at 27 and I was a teacher at what 22. When I got [the principal role at] this other school it was racism. I was the only African American female to be the principal of the neighborhood school. And I remember my Lower Hills parents would look over the gated fence at me and sneer. And I'd say, "Good Morning!" ‘Cause I figured, if you’re going to be mean, then that's your choice; but you’re not going to change me. And I am going to be kind and courteous, ‘cause that's who I am. So I am going to say “Good morning, welcome, good morning boys and girls, come on in, let's go.” And kids know that. So my success has always been the kids genuinely begin to love me. And I genuine begin to love them. I am like, "Come sweet peas, let's go." So, yeah . . . I'll never forget those [discriminations]. So, ageism, racism, and I would get a lot of sexism, a lot from women actually. Women have given me more fits than men.

Dr. Kirkpatrick reveals the complexity her various identities have had on her role as school principal. Dr. Kirkpatrick demonstrates not only something of how she navigated those challenges but also how she has used them to empower her impartial leadership practices.

The participants in their efforts concerning balance reveal something of how their recognition of the effects based on intersectionality. The distinct stories shared in this section by my participants demonstrate the need for school leaders to have an awareness of how intersectionalities affects children found at multiple identities. Moreover, the narrative of Dr. Kirkpatrick reveals that school leaders themselves also need to learn how to navigate their intersections of multiple identities because each identity presents unique challenges. Finally, my participants show their commitment to equity as having a broader perspective to the black-white binary “gaps” and/or inequities.