Black Female Principals' Wellness and Survival while Leading Anti-Black Public Schools

Abstract

Black women principals serve critical roles within public education while simultaneously navigating systems shaped by racism, sexism, and anti-Blackness. Despite growing scholarship on educational leadership, limited research has examined the health, wellness, and survival of Black female principals through an intersectional Black feminist lens (Collins, 1990, 2022; Crenshaw, 1989). Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews with six Black female principals and a focus group consisting of three participants, representing elementary, middle, and high school leadership contexts and three to over twenty years of leadership experience. Data were analyzed using narrative inquiry methods to identify patterns, meanings, and shared experiences across participant stories. Findings indicated that participants viewed leadership as a calling rooted in service, advocacy, and community responsibility while simultaneously navigating heightened scrutiny, emotional labor, systemic inequities, and significant wellness challenges. Participants described experiences of racialized gender fatigue, isolation, and burnout that affected their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being. At the same time, faith, sisterhood, and collective care emerged as essential survival strategies that fostered resilience, healing, and sustainable leadership. The study further highlights the importance of culturally responsive support systems, collective care, and organizational practices that promote the sustainability and well-being of Black women leaders.