Chapter 1: Introduction: The Need for Alternative Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks for the Study of Race, Gender, and Ethnicity in Educational Leadership

Recently, organizations in education have supported research highlighting issues of social justice within the educational pipeline. The University Council for Educational Administration, for example, themed one of their conventions, Righting Civil Wrongs: Education for Racial Justice and Human Rights, where attendees had the chance to review ways in which old traditions could be transformed to improve educational opportunities for students, practitioners, and research scholars. During these important national interactions, we identify a need to better represent populations of color, not only through educational practices and policies, but through essential ways in which communities of color can be represented in research—especially when this research can inform the work of practitioners and policymakers.