University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

“You have never been a Black woman in this job” How Black women educators experience and respond to gendered racism in Chicago’s schools

Curtis, Scenecia

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129532

Description

Title
“You have never been a Black woman in this job” How Black women educators experience and respond to gendered racism in Chicago’s schools
Author(s)
Curtis, Scenecia
Issue Date
2025-04-17
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Mason, Curtis
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
  • Mason, Curtis
  • Lee, Sharon
Committee Member(s)
  • Davila, Liv T
  • Hale, Jon
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Black women educators
  • Sista circles
  • invisibility gendered racism
  • misogynoir, intersectionality
  • racism
  • sexism
  • stereotypes
  • emotional labor
  • silencing
  • microaggressions
Abstract
Black women educators have made significant countless contributions to American public education, yet their work and worth continues to be scrubbed from historical documents in a structural, political, and social effort to secure their invisibility. This intentional and targeted attack against Black women educators can be explored through the concept of gendered racism which seeks to elevate the confluence of both sexism and racism on the experiences of Black women. Because of the intentional erasure of Black women’s stories, I designed this study to center the voices and experiences of Black women educators who serve students in Chicago’s schools. Black Feminist Thought and Intersectionality Theory serve as theoretical frames that function to unpack and make visible the detrimental impact of gendered racism and misogynoir on Black women educators. The goal of this study is to learn more about Black women educators’ experiences, coping mechanisms, and needs as they navigate combinations of racism and sexism in their schools. This study is designed to create a safe space for Black women educators to show up authentically as themselves, without bias or judgement, to share their contributions and challenges with K-12 educational institutions.
Graduation Semester
2025-05
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129532
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 Scenecia Curtis

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