Woven in deeply: Identity and leadership of urban social justice principals

This article comes from an investigation into the identities and leadership traits of seven urban school principals committed to social justice across elementary, middle, and high school levels. These administrators believed that enacting social justice for marginalized students was instrumental in their desire to become school leaders and central to their practice. A qualitative approach combined with principles of autoethnography has guided the research methods. Findings include varied personal experiences that sound their call to leadership and three common leadership traits. These traits are arrogant humility, passionate leadership, and a tenacious commitment to social justice. The article concludes with a metaphor explaining these leaders and their connection with their social justice work.