ABSTRACT
Educational inequity is present at all levels of our education system from Pre-Kindergarten to higher education. Unfortunately, these systems have created unequal access, disparities, and exclusion among other dire issues for systemically underserved communities. However, individuals in leadership roles play a critical function in genuinely promoting more opportunities for greater equitable outcomes. As leaders, one provide agency for historically oppressed communities who are underrepresented in administrative and policy-making positions. The Applied Critical Leadership (ACL) model encourages leaders to examine the social contexts of their communities and to empower community members by acknowledging how one's identity affects leadership through a critical lens. Transformative leadership recognizes the position of educational institutions within socio-political and socio-historical contexts to advance social justice. This form of leadership allows us to utilize a critical lens to break the legacy of institutional racism enshrouded behind rhetoric of meritocracy, color-blindness, and equal opportunity within educational institutions.
