Superintendents’ agency in the US is shaped by governance systems within education systems in the US which have been in a destabilising state of flux for 20 years. Superintendents are expected to play pivotal roles in navigating turbulence and leading the change to optimise students’ learning and students' outcomes. State and federal control of education governance systems has increased by mechanisms of accountability made possible by data management introduced with PISA. Such data management by numbers where the individual lives of each human being can be readily replaced by a string of exam results, coupled with their post code, can predict, or even determine, the trajectory of a lived life. The role of these models that control and predict district outcomes of individuals discriminated against because of their race, or gender, need to be examined to challenge the misconceptions and beliefs held by dominant groups about intersectionalities of discrimination. The research draws its data set from the purposive sampling of 14 African American Women Superintendents currently seated or retired within the last academic year prior to the commencement of the study. The findings reveal extreme turbulence has been felt because of the institutionalised racism that the African American Women Superintendents have had to fight. These Senior Leaders have acted as bridges between communities of practice within education governance systems to Empower Young Societal Innovators for Equity and Renewal (EYSIER). A theory of knowledge to action emerges that all African American Women Superintendents throughout their careers need to be aware of school policy, how to access policy and legislation, how to stay up to date with policy, and how to challenge policy. African American Women Superintendents need role models, and mentors who are Superintendents, and who create proactive and mobilising networks across their state and nation to advocate for, and support the teachers’ and leaders’ professional learning to meet professional standards, and become the best teachers, leaders, and Superintendents they can be. African American Women Superintendents need to be part of succession planning that transcends the short elected lives of district School Boards. Finally African American Women Superintendents need to be empowered to act as bridges between different groups, and build capacity for culture change so communities learn how to learn, become culturally sensitive, and are empowered to ask good questions and problem solve as Young Societal Innovators for Equity and Renewal.

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