Courage under Fire: A Qualitative Analysis Examining the Resilience Capacity of Black Women Superintendents in Urban School Districts

This dissertation examines the resilience capacity of Black women superintendents through a qualitative analysis of their personal and professional experiences as urban superintendents. Resilience represents the motivational energy that individuals use as they confront chronic or crisis-generated adversity. Urban superintendents must develop mechanisms to address and overcome adversity or perceived challenges while advancing their school reform agendas. A critical factor in managing change is the degree to which these leaders demonstrate resilience.;I designed an interpretative phenomenological analysis, which focuses on the perceived adversities of eight retired Black women superintendents and how they developed their capacity for resilience. Through in-depth interviewing and archival document analysis, I gathered the following information: • Descriptions of their experiences as they became superintendents. • Their coping mechanisms when confronted with perceived adversity during the superintendency. • Resilience strategies developed by the participants throughout their careers.;This study reveals that the life histories of the participants, who were confronted with racial discrimination in childhood, shaped their core values about the importance of education and formed internal and external protective factors against adversity. These protective factors enhanced their ability to manage adversity as they became mothers, wives, and educational leaders. These protective factors served to enable their internal capacity for resilience, which manifested through the participants' actions, behaviors, and skills manifested throughout their careers. My findings will enhance the literature on resilience, given that protective factors and resilience actions are usually presented as isolated, not connected relationships.;The study shows that Black women superintendents not only encounter adversity related to the complexities of the superintendency but are also confronted with adversity caused by race and gender factors. However, they see discrimination as a contributor to their success, rather than a barrier, because it forced them to embrace and find strength in their identities In addition to its theoretical value, this study provides insight into managing adversity for aspiring and sitting urban superintendents.