If love were to guide us: the story of Fred Hampton High School’s quest for building bridges of belonging for Black students
Randolph, Dillin E.
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129941
Description
Title
If love were to guide us: the story of Fred Hampton High School’s quest for building bridges of belonging for Black students
Author(s)
Randolph, Dillin E.
Issue Date
2025-07-17
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Roegman, Rachel
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Roegman, Rachel
Committee Member(s)
Herrmann, Mary Beth
Pak, Yoon
Rodriguez, Gabriel
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadershp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Black Student Belonging
School Leadership And Race
Student Voice
Critical Race Theory In Education
Equity
Racial Equity
High School
Love Were To Guide Us
Fred Hampton
Fred Hampton High School
Belonging
Black Students
Language
eng
Abstract
This action research study investigates how Black students experience and make sense of belonging at Fred Hampton High School, a suburban Illinois school known for its racial equity initiatives. Drawing on Critical Race Theory and using Safir and Dugan’s (2021) street data framework, the study centers the voices of Black students through focus group interviews to understand the systemic, interpersonal, and cultural barriers they face. Key themes include racial microaggressions, symbolic leadership, inequitable disciplinary practices, and lack of authentic representation. Despite the school’s reputation for diversity and strong racial equity work, the findings demonstrate the factors that explain why Black students report the lowest sense of belonging among all racial groups at Fred Hampton High School. Contributing factors include performative equity practices and administrative inaction. This study highlights students’ critiques of Hampton’s school culture and offers practical, student-informed recommendations for fostering an inclusive racial climate. By using storytelling as both a methodological and theoretical tool, this research aims to disrupt deficit narratives, promote student agency, and reimagine what is possible when school transformation is guided by love.
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