Black Principals' Perceptions of How their Racial, Cultural, Personal, and Professional Identities Affect their Leadership

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the negative way that blacks are viewed in mainstream society and how that image affects black educational leaders. Race has been historically used to subordinate blacks in the United States, and research suggests that a key factor in this subordination has been the systematic withdrawal of educational opportunities and access for blacks. This research posits that such racism and discrimination has affected the way blacks have formed their identities, specifically with regard to education. In this multiple-participant case study, black principals were interviewed to determine the ways in which they perceived their racial, cultural, personal, and professional identities to affect their leadership of schools. Findings stated that race heavily affected all areas of participants' identities. Race caused participants to feel more connected to minority students and communities, to advocate high expectations for minority students especially in addition to all other students, and to integrate diversity in the faculty to be representative of all students. Race also made it more difficult for participants to earn the trust and respect of faculty and parents and to discern whether people reacted negatively to their race or to other aspects of their leadership. Suggestions from this study included the inclusion of culture and race-specific coursework in educational leadership programs, increased promotion of diversity in recruitment for educators and educational leaders, and institutionalized support groups for principals of color. Methodological limitations, theoretical considerations, and implications for future research practice, and policy were also discussed.