The Dilemma and Reflection on Ethnic Minority Educational Equity: Understanding Minority Leadership and Systemic Barriers

Abstract

The issue of educational equity is still a worldwide concern; due to their systemic inequities towards accessing quality education, students of color, low-income learners, or students who do not speak English still face this issue. This research paper is devoted to the minority educational leadership of a first-generation college graduate in the United States and how their two-fold or more identity of race, class, and opportunity create an impact on their professional experiences. Basing the research on the Intersectionality Theory and Culturally Responsive Leadership Theory, the authors propose to research the perspectives of these leaders on educational equity, overcome the challenges posed by the institution, and include everyone in the process of working within predominantly white education. The results indicate that these leaders are simultaneously both the objects of a systemic inequality and change agents. Their relationship-based and culturally grounded leadership practices are also disruptive of the white-centric normative framework and offer avenues to institutional change. The study, however, is limited to a small sample of Latino education leaders making the generalization of the study difficult. Further studies that will incorporate cross-cultural and comparative research should be conducted in future to explore more about the dynamics of minority leadership and educational equity in various settings.