Abstract
It is said that being a school administrator is a very lonely and challenging position to have, but one of the most rewarding to create the conditions by which students succeed. It is even more challenging when one must continually negotiate who they authentically are in an effort to remain in the position. The purpose of this study is to explore the personal, professional, and social experiences of African American male school leaders in predominantly white school systems and answers the question of how they negotiate their racial identity without committing cultural sacrifice. By utilizing a qualitative research design and a scholarly professional narrative, this study highlights key features germane to black male principals to remain successful. Extensive interviews were conducted with eight black male principals that were coded and analyzed to solicit dominant themes upon which to expound. I utilized critical race theory as a dominant framework to analyze the narratives, specifically addressing the permanence of racism juxtaposed to being a leader of color within predominantly white systems governed by dominant Eurocentric ideology. I close with a summary and discussion of research themes and questions along with implications for practice and opportunities to extend future research.