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Graduation Term
Summer 2026
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Department of Educational Administration and Foundations
Committee Chair
Lydia Kyei-Blankson
Committee Member
Mohamed Nur-Awaleh
Committee Member
Christa D. Platt
Abstract
This critical autoethnographic study examined the growth of a student affairs professional identity grounded in anti-racism through the interrogation of internalized anti-Blackness and whiteness. Drawing on over nine years of personal data, including journals, emails, text messages, and reflections, the study explored how lived experiences within historically white colleges and universities (HwCUs) shaped this transformation. Using adaptations of Freire’s theory of critical consciousness and critical race theory, the analysis moved from a colonized mindset toward an anti-racist identity. Findings were organized into five themes: Critical Awareness, Motivation, Action, Resistance, and Identity Alignment. Together, these findings demonstrate that anti-racist identity development is cyclical and requires continuous reflection, emotional reckoning, and action. The study introduces a cyclical model centered on critical reflection as the key mechanism for sustained transformation. The implications call for higher education professionals to engage in self-reflexivity, align their identities, and move beyond performative diversity efforts toward anti-racist praxis.
Access Type
Dissertation-ISU Access Only
Recommended Citation
Bailey, Tamekia, "I've Got a Testimony: The Journey of Centering Anti-Racism in Leadership and Practice" (2026). Theses and Dissertations. 2389.
https://ir.library.illinoisstate.edu/etd/2389