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'This Isn't Who We Are': A Critical Discourse Analysis of School and District Leaders' Responses to Racial Violence

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Title: 'This Isn't Who We Are': A Critical Discourse Analysis of School and District Leaders' Responses to Racial Violence
Language: English
Authors: Bridgeforth, James C. (ORCID 0000-0002-7562-4358)
Source: Journal of School Leadership. Jan 2021 31(1-2):85-106.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 22
Publication Date: 2021
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Racial Bias, Violence, News Reporting, Electronic Mail, Letters (Correspondence), Social Media, African Americans, Leadership Responsibility, School Districts, Central Office Administrators, Administrator Responsibility, Administrator Education, Critical Theory, Race, Information Dissemination, Elementary Secondary Education, Educational Environment, Values, School Safety, Inclusion, Educational Policy, Equal Education, Social Justice, School Policy, Zero Tolerance Policy
DOI: 10.1177/1052684621992760
ISSN: 1052-6846
Abstract: Media reports have detailed the growing prevalence of incidents of racism and racial violence in K-12 schools and districts throughout the United States. The public nature of these incidents often requires a formal response from school and district leadership in the form of a press release, letter, or public statement. This study is an analysis of 140 press releases, emails, letters, and social media posts that educational leaders made in response to incidents of anti-Black racial violence occurring between 2014 and 2019. Using critical discourse analysis, the author finds that institutional leaders regularly responded to these incidents by prioritizing the reputation of the school or district, rather than the needs of the victims of racial violence. Leaders engaged in the organizational practice of institutional boundary making by positioning the incidents as unrepresentative of the larger community, instead of acknowledging the structural roots of anti-Blackness within their communities. Due to the endemic nature of anti-Black racism, the author argues that educational leaders must acknowledge the predictable nature of these incidents and proactively prepare to respond swiftly and decisively. Leaders' responses should be meaningful, action-oriented, and equity-minded, ultimately leading to organizational transformation, rather than simply protecting the image of the schools and districts that they lead.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2021
Accession Number: EJ1290129
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: 'This Isn't Who We Are': A Critical Discourse Analysis of School and District Leaders' Responses to Racial Violence
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Bridgeforth%2C+James+C%2E%22">Bridgeforth, James C.</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7562-4358">0000-0002-7562-4358</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+School+Leadership%22"><i>Journal of School Leadership</i></searchLink>. Jan 2021 31(1-2):85-106.
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  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://sagepub.com
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  Data: 22
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Bias%22">Racial Bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Violence%22">Violence</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22News+Reporting%22">News Reporting</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electronic+Mail%22">Electronic Mail</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Letters+%28Correspondence%29%22">Letters (Correspondence)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Media%22">Social Media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22African+Americans%22">African Americans</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Leadership+Responsibility%22">Leadership Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Central+Office+Administrators%22">Central Office Administrators</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Responsibility%22">Administrator Responsibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Administrator+Education%22">Administrator Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Critical+Theory%22">Critical Theory</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Race%22">Race</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Information+Dissemination%22">Information Dissemination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Values%22">Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Safety%22">School Safety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Inclusion%22">Inclusion</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Justice%22">Social Justice</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Policy%22">School Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Zero+Tolerance+Policy%22">Zero Tolerance Policy</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1177/1052684621992760
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  Data: Media reports have detailed the growing prevalence of incidents of racism and racial violence in K-12 schools and districts throughout the United States. The public nature of these incidents often requires a formal response from school and district leadership in the form of a press release, letter, or public statement. This study is an analysis of 140 press releases, emails, letters, and social media posts that educational leaders made in response to incidents of anti-Black racial violence occurring between 2014 and 2019. Using critical discourse analysis, the author finds that institutional leaders regularly responded to these incidents by prioritizing the reputation of the school or district, rather than the needs of the victims of racial violence. Leaders engaged in the organizational practice of institutional boundary making by positioning the incidents as unrepresentative of the larger community, instead of acknowledging the structural roots of anti-Blackness within their communities. Due to the endemic nature of anti-Black racism, the author argues that educational leaders must acknowledge the predictable nature of these incidents and proactively prepare to respond swiftly and decisively. Leaders' responses should be meaningful, action-oriented, and equity-minded, ultimately leading to organizational transformation, rather than simply protecting the image of the schools and districts that they lead.
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        Value: 10.1177/1052684621992760
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      – Text: English
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    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Racial Bias
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Violence
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: News Reporting
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      – SubjectFull: Electronic Mail
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      – SubjectFull: School Districts
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      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
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      – SubjectFull: School Policy
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      – SubjectFull: Zero Tolerance Policy
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      – TitleFull: 'This Isn't Who We Are': A Critical Discourse Analysis of School and District Leaders' Responses to Racial Violence
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