Twelve YearsUnslaved: Lessons From Reconstruction andBrownfor Contemporary School Leaders

Abstract

This conceptual analysis centers two historical periods in which Black communities in the United States secured educational rights for themselves in spite of (not because of) intervention from the federal government. Drawing from the Critical Race Theory, the authors argue that Reconstruction and the post-Brown era offer valuable lessons for school leaders today about the ability—and even need—to operate autonomously from formal channels. The authors feature lessons from Reconstruction and Brown regarding self-reliance, community control, and the hard-won victories whose benefits extended far beyond the Black community itself. The authors conclude with implications for school leaders.

Pre-Brown African American School Leadership Paradigm: A Conceptual Model

“…Moreover, personal beliefs sculpt how individuals perceive their world, themselves, and other people in it (Nelson & Guerra, 2013). Fundamental to all the identified pre- Brown principals’ beliefs was a commitment to children (Castro et al, 2019). Under each discussion of beliefs, I reference examples of goals and the practices that supported the two types of beliefs in action.…”

“…Tillman (2004) suggests that studying African American principals and school leadership "has not become a dominant strand in the scholarship on educational leadership, leaving gaps in terms of an African American perspective" (p. 102). Addressing this gap is essential to providing a more complete view of leadership practices experienced within segregated schools (Castro, Presberry, & Chambers, 2019). That students, consistently relegated to the deficit end of the educational "gap," achieved academically and socially in such contexts also suggests that a deeper understanding of the conditions that cultivated such success merits attention.…”

A qualitative study on the impact of teacher-facilitated advising on sense of belonging and student achievement for minority females in high school

“…The Board of Education of 1954 would be a changing point for inequalities within the education system; however, history would prove otherwise. After Brown, it took a string of school districts across the North and South to be sued before the implementation of the legislation started to be implemented with fidelity and opportunities for black students to receive equitable education (Castro & Venzant Chambers, 2019). Even then because the black community was shut out of the decision-making regarding the education of their children, there were many negative impacts on the established black educational system.…”

“…One of the negative impacts of Brown was the loss of the collectivist mindset that was seen in good all-Black segregated schools. This community feeling allowed teachers, students, and parents to carry the responsibility of educating students and forming a cohesive bond (Castro & Venzant Chambers, 2019). Once again black students and their communities were being forced to be educated by the same rules and structures as their white peers with little to no thought of their own cultural beliefs and systems just like their ancestors one hundred years before.…”

“…History once again had proven that very little had changed in the minds of the lawmakers and educational leaders of the time. After Brown, many Black teachers and school leaders found themselves out of jobs which many believe is directly responsible for the fact that today only about 20% of the educational workforce is African American teachers and leaders (Castro & Venzant Chambers, 2019).…”