Term of Award

Fall 2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Education in Curriculum Studies (Ed.D.)

Document Type and Release Option

Dissertation (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading

Committee Chair

Sabrina Ross

Committee Member 1

Ming Fang He

Committee Member 2

Meca Williams-Johnson

Committee Member 3

Berlisha Morton

Abstract

This dissertation is a qualitative study that uses the theoretical framework of Womanism (Walker, 1983/1967) to examine how Black women assistant principals use spirituality as a guidepost for their work in K-12 educational spaces. To expand on the work of Womanism, I draw on Dr. Berlisha Morton’s Southern Womanism (2016) and Dr. Emilie Townes’ Womanist Spirituality (1995), grounding this study in the conceptual framework of Southern Womanist Spirituality, which emphasizes the intersection of Black women’s work, spirituality, and social justice as well as race, gender, and place. The study uses a hybrid research methodology, Hush Harbor Circles, to promote healing and center Black women’s wellness by carving out sacred spaces to affirm themselves and create settings centered on their needs, spirituality, and lived experiences. I participated in this study as a co-participant to explore how Black women assistant principals use spirituality to lead and carry out day-to-day responsibilities. Through this study, the other participants and I shared our lived experiences as Black women assistant principals living and working in the South. I explored how our faith and spirituality impact our ability to heal and thrive. Three findings were identified in the study based on our co-constructed: (1) Living in the South is a constant reminder of “blood in the soil,” the strength of our ancestral legacies, and the need to orient our work toward supporting our Black students and our communities in culturally relevant ways. (2) Spirituality orients us toward our work and gives us the strength to endure. (3) For Black women, being an assistant principal means willingly taking on the role of “workhorse” while having faith that others may eventually join us in this social justice work.

OCLC Number

1560059514

Research Data and Supplementary Material

Yes

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