Black and Latina educational leaders’ motherwork: a reflection of identity, radical care and collective love

Purpose This study aims to examine the motherwork of Black and Latina women educational leaders that is vital to school communities. Motherwork is emotionally taxing, remains under-acknowledged and under-appreciated within educational leadership and many times is undertaken at the expense of Black and Latina leaders’ health and well-being. Design/methodology/approach Framed by the concepts of motherwork and intersectionality and rooted in epistemological collaboration utilizing a secondary analysis of narrative data, this study asked: What are the stories that Black and Latina women educational leaders have to tell regarding their motherwork in schools? Narratives from three Black women and three Latina women from two previous studies were examined utilizing inductive, thematic analysis. Findings Findings indicate that Black and Latina educational leaders' motherwork is intertwined with their intersectional identities and is reflective of radical care and collective love shown to their school communities. Originality/value Findings contribute to the research examining Black and Latina educational leaders' motherwork, while interrogating the intersectional experiences and the role that power, politics and patriarchy play within educational organizations that further marginalize and can push women of color out of the field.