Publication Date

Spring 2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

Advisor

Emily Slusser; Eduardo Muñoz-Muñoz; Heidi Emberling

Abstract

This mixed-methods study centers the voices, knowledge, and leadership of Black and Indigenous women working in Early Care and Education (ECE) while tracing how racism, sexism, and classism have shaped the field from colonization to the present day. Twenty in-depth interviews with sixteen Black and Indigenous educators across the United States are paired with secondary analyses of national workforce data to create a multilayered portrait of their professional realities. Grounded in Black feminist thought and Indigenous desire-based inquiry, the analysis surfaces six inter-locking themes: (a) enduring structural barriers that depress wages and limit advancement, (b) the day-to-day resilience that sustains educators in the face of those barriers, (c) culturally responsive pedagogies rooted in community, (d) blocked pathways to professional growth and leadership, (e) the emotional and physical toll of under-resourced work, and (f) participant visions for a liberated, justice-oriented ECE system. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that Black and Indigenous women are— and have long been—central architects of high-quality early learning, yet their contributions are undervalued by policy and practice. The study offers evidence-based recommendations for dismantling oppressive structures, reimagining compensation and career ladders, and building inclusive environments that honor the expertise of the workforce on which young children and families most depend.

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