Publication Date

Spring 5-8-2022

Document Type

Action research project: USD users only.

Degree Name

MA Higher Education Leadership

Department

Leadership Studies

Abstract

This project used a co-creation model called Sister Circles to honor ancestral wisdom and as a way of centering Black women’s narratives on countering the master narrative in academic spaces. This project used a critical race and ethnography research methodology and illuminated seven Black female family members’ ways of thriving and revising their narratives. The questions examined in the three Sister Circle Sessions were: How do we each fortify and bestow our ancestral wisdom and experiences to support the 21st and 22nd generations of Black girls and women? How can we help the next generation of Black girls to become more dynamic, trauma-informed leaders than prior generations? These Circles also unveiled organic conversations that aided in unpacking multigenerational collections of historical trauma, triumphs, and spaces for family healing. Each woman presented a cajita adorned with recipes, poems, photos, and trinkets depicting their experiences and personality. Participants expanded their definition of Blackness, womanhood, and leadership through this process based on their lessons and wisdom. During Sister Circle Sessions, each participant heightened their self-awareness and confidence to share their experiences for the betterment of the 21st and 22nd generation of Black girls. Utilizing group reflective structures like Sister Circles within action research may support Black women participants in co-creating counternarratives that challenge negative stereotypes prescribed to Black women, thus changing the perceptions of Black Women’s ways of leading.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a CC BY-ND License.

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