Year
2025
Season
Summer
Paper Type
Doctoral Dissertation
College
Silverfield College of Education and Human Services
Degree Name
Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (EdD)
Department
Leadership, School Counseling & Sport Management
NACO controlled Corporate Body
University of North Florida. Department of Leadership, School Counseling & Sports Management
Committee Chairperson
Dr. Amanda Pascale
Second Advisor
Dr. Rakesh Maurya
Third Advisor
Dr. Amanda Kulp
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Richmond Wynn
Abstract
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) professionals are experiencing an unprecedented time as conservative politicians and legislators work to dismantle DEI in higher education. In 2022, Florida became one of the first states to introduce and enact anti-DEI legislation. Few studies have examined or investigated the lived experiences of DEI professionals currently living in the midst of this experience. The purpose of this narrative inquiry was to capture and restory the lived experiences of DEI professionals employed at public Florida universities during the introduction and enactment of anti-DEI legislation. Five co-composers contributed their stories of experience as data to this narrative inquiry. The discoveries from these stories were then amalgamated and (re)told in a short story titled, “Leaving It All Behind.” This short story portrays a fictionalized (re)presentation of what it meant for the co-composers of this narrative inquiry to live in the midst of the introduction and enactment of anti-DEI legislation in the state of Florida
Suggested Citation
Winfrey, Brandi Sheree Wynne, "Leaving it all behind: A storied experience" (2025). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1363.
https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1363