Congratulations to Lisa M. Torres, who on Thursday, September 10, 2026, successfully defended her dissertation.
The title of Lisa's dissertation is, "HOT COMBS AND HAIR JOURNEYS: CHRONICLING BLACK WOMEN'S LIVED EXPERIENCES OF HAIR DISCRIMINATION IN PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOLS."
The abstract of this study follows:
Overview of Problem: Narratives of the lived experiences of Black young women in K-12 schools remain largely absent from educational scholarship; as their narratives are frequently ignored, Black young women are increasingly marginalized in school settings due to hair discrimination.
Research Purpose1: Guided by Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 2022) and Black Girlhood Studies (Brown, 2009), my study aimed to chronicle the personal stories of Black women who have experienced hair discrimination while attending predominantly White K-12 schools.
Research Design: Narrative, Interpretive Qualitative Inquiry
Sample: There were 21 participants in this study, aged 18 to 66, who attended predominantly White schools. Participants were required to self-identify as Black women, be 18 years old or older, and have experienced hair discrimination in K-12 predominantly White school settings to qualify for participation.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Creswell and Poth’s (2025) data analysis spiral approach guided my analysis, utilizing open coding to identify emergent patterns and themes.
Findings/Results: Five themes emerged, along with their corresponding subthemes. The overarching themes were The Spectacle of Black Women’s Hair, Representation and Belonging, The Struggle is Real, Identity Crisis, and Hyper-visibility and Invisibility.
Conclusions/Implications: This study chronicled Black women’s lived experiences of hair discrimination in predominantly White K-12 schools, illustrating that hair expression was far more than an aesthetic choice; Black girls’ hair was a focal point used to regulate and police their identities. Participants’ narratives showed that belonging required cultural affirmation, positive representation, and safety in expressing identity through hair. These findings highlight the need for culturally affirming policies, practices, and supports that reflect Black girls’ lived experiences. Listening to Black girls and acting to protect rather than punish them is essential for mitigating hair discrimination and fostering more nurturing and inclusive learning environments, where historically marginalized students are seen, valued, and supported. Recommendations were included for policymakers, school leaders, educators, and school-based mental health staff.
Dissertation Committee Chair:
Dr. Kenneth Mitchell
Dissertation Committee Members:
Dr. Samatha White
Dr. Sagrario Rudecindo-O'Neill
Take Your Career to the Next Level
Elevate your leadership skills, deepen your understanding of critical and contemporary education issues, and learn to help solve the current challenges in P-20 education.
Learn to Inspire Change
The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership from Manhattanville, offered in partnership with Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, utilizes a forward-thinking approach to educational leadership that is ideal for practicing and aspiring leaders in any educational context. It is designed to support the goals of educational professionals who seek to develop their leadership skills for career advancement or current job enhancement.
