Drawing upon Weick's (1995) theory of sensemaking, this qualitative study described how high school social studies teachers make meaning of culturally responsive sustaining education (CR-SE) as outlined in New York State's (NYS) CR-SE framework. This study also examined how that sensemaking is reflected in social studies teachers' curricular and pedagogical decisions. Considering the current controversy surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion work in school districts throughout the country, an examination of the issues surrounding the implementation of the NYS CR-SE framework was needed. Through semistructured interviews with 16 high school social studies teachers, I found factors such as teachers' backgrounds and experiences, professional context, policy ambiguity, and discourse around CR-SE influenced teacher sensemaking and decision making. As social studies teachers trained in history and other social sciences, participants described readily including multiple perspectives and previously marginalized voices in the classroom and curriculum. However, they also expressed a lack of familiarity with the framework, suggesting schools and districts are not prioritizing it. Participants who were more knowledgeable about the framework worked in districts where minoritized students comprised most of the student body, suggesting school demographics may play a role in implementation. When asked about national media coverage of diversity, equity, and inclusion, participants cited local examples, suggesting they were making sense of regional or national events through their work context. Recommendations for future research and recommendations for schools, districts, boards of education, and the NYS education department are included. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]