This article addresses how leadership scholarship perpetuates whiteness and the problems this causes for educators and students advancing social justice. The organizations that the authors oversee deliver place-based, community-driven programs serving youth and families from the lowest quartile of the socioeconomic ladder. Their constituents are primarily Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), many living in rural communities. The ecosystems they navigate are among the most abundant with talent, yet the most scarce of opportunities. With more than 40 years of collective experience, the authors believe in the power of education as a gateway to opportunity and mobility; however, achieving this requires addressing the uncomfortable realities of economic inequality and white supremacy that manifest every day in leadership practice, yet are decidedly absent from scholarly consideration.