Rooted in Resistance, Raised in Legacy - The Leadership Stories of Black Women Students at Hispanic Serving Institutions

Aug 26, 2026

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The dissertation explores how Black women students at Hispanic Serving Institutions develop, sustain, and express leadership through lived experience, identity formation, and community support. It grounds the analysis in educational leadership study and a theoretical framework alongside Black feminist thought, examining the Black woman experience within higher education settings. The work reviews mechanisms such as mentorship and othermothering, plus spaces including sister circles, sororities, and affinity groups that nurture empowerment and assimilation navigation.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages146

Reading Time6 h 8 min

AccessFree to download

Dissertation Approval Page

Dedication

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

Acknowledgements

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

Introduction

Statement of the Problem

Purpose of Study and Research Questions

Significance of the Study

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

Introduction

Theoretical Framework

Leadership Identity Development Model

Black Feminist Thought

The Black Woman Experience

Hispanic Serving Institutions

Black Women in Higher Education

Black Woman Student Leaders

Black Women and Assimilation

Support Systems for Black Women Students in Higher Education

Mentorship

Othermothering

Black Woman Student Empowerment

Sister Circles

Black Greek Letter Sororities

Affinity Groups and Spaces

Summary

CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY

Introduction

UC San Diego UC San Diego Electronic Theses and Dissertations Title Rooted in Resistance, Raised in Legacy: The Leadership Stories of Black Women Students at Hispanic Serving Institutions Permalink [https://escholarship.org/uc/item/47f2c81v](https://escholarship.org/uc/item/47f2c81v) Author Watkins, Shanelle Publication Date 2025 Peer reviewed|Thesis/dissertation [eScholarship.org](eScholarship.org) Powered by the California Digital Library University of California UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS Rooted in Resistance, Raised in Legacy: The Leadership Stories of Black Women Students at Hispanic Serving Institutions A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership by Shanelle Watkins Committee in Charge: University of California San Diego Professor Sherice N. Clarke, Chair Professor Alan Daly California State University San Marcos Professor Brooke Soles Copyright Shanelle Watkins, 2025 All rights reserved The dissertation of Shanelle Watkins is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication and microfilm and electronically. University of California San Diego California State University, San Marcos 2025 Dedication To my seventh grade self. Shanelle, your converse shoes, hello kitty paper, and beautiful chocolate skin had always been enough, although folks did not see it back then. You are doing great things, and you are loved by so many. Table of Contents Dissertation Approval Page .......................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. x Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ xi ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION ..................................................................................... xv CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION............................................................................................. 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................................ 2 Purpose of Study and Research Questions .................................................................................. 3 Significance of the Study ............................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .................................................................. 7 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 7 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................... 7 Leadership Identity Development Model.................................................................................... 8 Black Feminist Thought .............................................................................................................. 9 The Black Woman Experience ..............................................

FAQs

What is the dissertation’s main focus?

It focuses on leadership stories and leadership identity development of Black women students attending Hispanic Serving Institutions.

Which theoretical and conceptual lenses guide the study?

The study uses a theoretical framework for leadership identity development and draws on Black feminist thought to interpret the Black woman experience in higher education.

What kinds of support systems does the literature review emphasize?

It highlights mentorship (including mentorship from Black women on campus) and othermothering, and describes empowerment nurtured through sister circles, Black Greek letter sororities, and affinity groups and spaces.

Aug 26, 2026

Upload by Maeve