ORCID

tr875415

Keywords

Black males, educational leadership, PreK-12 settings, social capital, political capital, lived experiences

Abstract

According to Woodson and Pabon (2016, as cited in Bass, 2020) Black males represent less than 2% of the US public education workforce. This is concerning considering that many schools across the nation are becoming increasingly diverse. Scholars such as Bass (2020) have even cited that classrooms “may never completely rebound” (p. 356) from finding Black men to fill vacant teaching positions which could ultimately lead to a career in educational leadership. filling classrooms with available Black men in the profession. This study employed a convergent parallel mixed method design within a descriptive research framework to examine the impact of social and political capital on Black male representation in PreK-12 educational leadership. Quantitative data from a perception survey were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data from open-ended responses were thematically coded to capture lived experiences. Findings revealed that 92% of participants encountered racism, microaggressions, or racial discrimination during their careers. Barriers related to social capital included lack of mentorship, limited promotion of leadership opportunities, and mischaracterization by colleagues. Political capital failures were evident in institutionalized racism, exclusion from decision-making processes, and assignment to roles that hindered leadership advancement. Regional analysis showed that the Southeast and West reported the highest instances of discrimination and capital failures. The integration of both data types provided a comprehensive understanding of how systemic inequities shape the leadership trajectories of Black male school and district administrators. Based on these findings, the study recommends policy reforms to audit hiring practices and establish equity oversight committees, alongside practical efforts to expand mentorship, leadership pathways, and safe networking spaces for Black male educators.

Completion Date

2025

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Larry J. Walker

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Community Innovation and Education

Department

Educational Leadership

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029833

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

UCF Downtown

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