2026-09-23T12:08:42Z https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/129941 2025-10-25 col_2142_5131 col_2142_8800 com_2142_5130 com_2142_5132

application/pdf en text Submission original under an indefinite embargo labeled 'Open Access'. The submission was exported from vireo on 2025-10-20 without embargo terms The student, Dillin Randolph, accepted the attached license on 2025-07-14 at 13:40. The student, Dillin Randolph, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2025-07-14 at 13:58. This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2025-07-17 at 10:55. DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #22547 on 2025-10-20 at 20:15:13 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. 2025-07-17 Roegman, Rachel Roegman, Rachel Herrmann, Mary Beth Pak, Yoon Rodriguez, Gabriel 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 eng 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. 2025-08 Text https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129941 Copyright 2025 Dillin Randolph Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadershp Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Ed.D. Dissertation