“You Have to Lift Black Children Up”: Black Superintendents Leading for Educational Equity and Joy With Black Families and Communities

Grounded in culturally responsive school leadership, this qualitative study examined how four Black superintendents center Black families and communities to advance educational equity and cultivate joy within their school district. Drawing on semi-structured interviews, the findings revealed that joy functions as an emancipatory practice—encompassing cultural affirmation, resistance to deficit narratives, and a foundation for Black educational thriving. This study contributes to urban education scholarship by theorizing joy as a critical dimension of equity-focused leadership.