Disrupting the Hologram: How Two Black Women Principals Navigate Self-Care in Suburban Schooling Contexts

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to explore how Black women principals define and mediate self-care while leading K-12 suburban schools.

Research Method

This study used qualitative narrative inquiry to explore the lived experiences of two Black women principals serving in suburban school districts in a state located in the Midwest Region. Data consisted of semi-structured interviews.

Findings

Insights from the narratives illustrate definitions of self-care as a process that requires them to detach from time and place in order to construct safe space away from the racialized and gendered experiences. Findings also articulate that institutional demands directly correlate with leader burnout and present barriers to their care.

Conclusion

The findings illuminate examples of barriers to retention and sustainability of Black women principals in suburban schools indicative of broader patterns identified in literature on leadership retention. Their experiences demonstrate a need for a framework that supports the integration of identity-informed self-care into leadership praxis and a systematic review of policies, practices, and discourses that frame the principalship. By centering the self-care practices of Black women leaders in suburban schools, it becomes possible to reimagine a path toward a sustainable principalship model.