Does Race Matter for Black Educational Leaders?

This dissertation addresses the negative way that blacks are viewed in mainstream society and how that image affects black educational leaders. 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. Suggestions from this study included the inclusion of culture and race-specific coursework in educational leadership programs and institutionalized support groups for principals of color. Methodological limitations, theoretical considerations, and implications for future research practice, and policy were also discussed.