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African-American Principals In The Midwest: Voices Of The Sojourner Principal, David Brown

David C. Brown

In an era of accountability and high standards for public schools, some African American principals decided to work in predominantly white schools. Their experiences were challenging because they were racial newcomers in schools with students different from their own race. In this case study, 12 African-American principals and assistant principals in one Midwestern state described their experiences working in schools with fewer than 20 percent African-American students. In semi-structured interviews, participants discussed motivations, perceptions, and experiences serving as principals in predominantly white schools. Three primary research questions were investigated: How do African-American principals in predominantly white schools describe their daily …