Mary Ann Springs, PhD Dissertation Defense PPT., Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair

8/3/2019 Mary Ann Springs, PhD Dissertation Defense PPT., Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair

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LIVING LEGACIES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY

OF SEVEN AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE

EDUCATIONAL LEADERS AT A SOUTHWESTERN

HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITYIN TEXAS

A Dissertation Defense

By

Mary Ann Springs

Dissertation Chair: Dr. William Allan Kritsonis



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Dr. William Allan Kritsonis(Dissertation Chair)

Dr. Douglas S. Hermond

(Member)

Dr. Patricia Hoffman-Miller

(Member)

Dr. Carl Gardiner

(Member)



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§ Without proper guidance programs and thenecessary mentors and coaches to help young

African American males, this group may lack the resilience to work hard and become productive citizens that will carry the legacy of African American male leadership (Child’s

Aid Society, 2006).



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§ The consistent decline of African Americanmale participation and contribution to the

African American community could lead to theabsence of future leaders of HBCUs and public schools in general (Jackson, 2001;Wiley, 2001; Woodson, 1933/2005).



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§ Despite these social, political, and cultural barriers that impede African American males,

many do succeed. In fact, African Americanmale educational leaders at HBCUs aresuccessful and have a significant influence onAfrican American male students through

mentorship (Lucas, 2010).



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§ The literature tells us little about the impactand influence of such men; therefore, the

researcher conducted a study that woulddescribe the impact of Critical Race Theory(CRT), what made the subjects of the study

resilient in overcoming societal barriers, andthe significance of mentorship on their journeytoward educational leadership.



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§ The researcher was approved to conduct a phenomenological study devoted to examining

the emergence of African American maleeducational leadership as perceived,experienced, and exercised by African

American male administrators of an HBCU inSouthwest Texas.



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Research Questions

Research QuestionsThe following research questions guided the

study. According to Marshall and Rossman, ascited in Creswell (2007), the central question of a phenomenological study should be explanatory innature when little is known about a particular phenomenon and descriptive when describing patterns related to the phenomenon.



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Research Question #1

What was the evolution of leadership over the past three decades of seven African Americanmale educational leaders from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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What critical moments in history haveimpacted the educational leadership style(s)

of seven African American male educationalleaders from a Southwestern Historically Black

College and University?



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Which leaders from the past have left animpression on seven African American maleeducational leaders from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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In the face of social, political, or racialadversities, what influenced the decisions of seven African American male educationalleaders at a Southwestern Historically Black College and University?



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What is the essence of the leadership of seven

African American male educational leaders at aSouthwestern Historically Black College andUniversity?



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How has the leadership of seven African

American male educational leaders influencedstudents, policy, the development of programs,strategies, and curriculum at a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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Purpose of the Study

§ The purpose of this study was to conduct a phenomenological investigation that gave

voice to seven African American maleeducational leaders at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in SouthwestTexas.



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Significance of the Study

§ This study may serve as a tool to restore what"excellence in action" looked like in the formof phenomenology, the re-creation of lived

experiences.



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The desired outcome was four-fold:

1. To foster the meaningful paternal relationships from senior

educational leaders to succeeding generations;

2. To teach and share leadership characteristics with youngmale youth of all backgrounds;

3. To encourage African American males to graduate; and

4. To inspire and motivate African American males aspiringleadership positions in public and higher education.



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Personal Statement

§ According to Moustakas, as cited by Creswell(2007), “the first step toward

"phenomenological reduction" in the analysisof the data is for the researcher to set aside all preconceived ideas or experiences in order to best understand the experiences of the

participants” (p. 235).



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Delimitations of the Study

§ This study looked at seven African American

male administrators, therefore eliminating theexperiences and contributions of AfricanAmerican female administrators. The participants of the study have all served aseducational leaders at a Southwestern HBCU.



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Limitations

First, participant's narrative expressions may be limited to the researcher's ability to use strongand descriptive language in order to accuratelyreport the experience.



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Second, since the study and experiences are

specific to the participants in question, thereproduction of this study for a larger populationwith different demographic and racial make-upcould change the outcome.



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Third, since participants shared experiencesfrom the past, their expressions may be limitedto their capacity to recollect information.



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Fifth, since the seven participants are activelyserving as leaders or as teachers, their availability was limited when schedulinginterviews.



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Sixth, the demographic survey asked for

occupational information that could potentiallyreveal the participants identity. The participantswere given the liberty to answer or not answer any portion of the questionnaire.



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Literature Review

§ In order to understand the phenomenon of African American male leadership, it is

important to understand their history as a people. The aftermath of slavery, racism, andinequality has left a negative impact on the

plight of African American males at theeducational, social, and political levels(Woodson, 1933/2005).



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§ It is important to note that these risk factorshave significantly decreased the pool of

African American males as future leaders insociety (Eatman, 2000; Green, 2001; Wiley,2001).



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§ The literature review began with the history of Black education in the South, the rise and

significance of Historically Black Colleges andUniversities (HBCU), and the establishment of African American male leaders at the nationallevel.

§ Leadership styles of African American men wereexamined in addition to their barriers in higher education.



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§ The review also revealed the significance of mentorship, Critical Race, and Resiliency

Theories. The literature review concluded byidentifying risk factors that potentially threatenAfrican American males.



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In general, the following were examined relative to the literature review:

•History of Black Education in the South•

Critical Moments in African American History•Black Leaders and Politics•The Jim Crow Laws and Segregation•The Black Power and Civil Rights Movements•The Black Family and Community•

The Rise of African American Leadership and National Leaders•Leadership Styles of African American Men•Frederick Douglas



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•Henry Highland Garnet•Marcus Garvey•William Edward Burghardt DuBois•Malcom X•Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.•Educational Leaders of African American HBCUs•Black Faculty in Higher Education•African American Male Administrators in Higher Education•A Brief History of HBCU Educational Leaders•Leadership Demands



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•The Significance of Mentorship for African American Males•Critical Race Theory•Resiliency Theory•

Risk Factors that Threaten African American Male Youth



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Methodology

1. Chapter three described the methodology for this study bydefining the research design, participant selection anddescription, data collection method, and analysis.

2. The researcher described the qualitative methodology usedfor the study and gave the rationale for the methodologicalselection. The research design and the role of the researcher werealso detailed.

3. Data collection included interviews, demographicinformation, artifacts, and vitas.



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Subjects of the Study

Seven participants were selected based upon criterion sampling.

The following criteria were used to determine the participants for the study: African American male,educational leaders or teachers who became leaders at a

Southwestern HBCU in Texas, served the university for 30 or more years, and currently serves as an educationalleader at the same Southwestern HBCU. SuccessfulAfrican American male leaders would include theattainment of a doctoral degree and stabilization of employment.



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Instrumentation

1. The study required the use of four forms of data: demographic information, interview

questions, artifact observations, and vitas.

2. The demographic instrument includedfamilial, educational, and occupational

information.



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3. The researcher scheduled three face-to-face in-depth interview sessions with each

participant comprised of open-ended and semi-structured interview questions.

4. The same questions were asked of each

participant, and when necessary, a follow-upquestion for clarification to a previous response.



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5. Interview questions were experience or behavioral in nature.

6. Each interview session was audio tapedwith the participant's consent. The audio tapes

were later transcribed by the researcher.



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7. The observations included artifacts such as photos, letters of excellence in leadership from

supervisors, peers, and former students, plaques,awards/programs honoring the participants, and public documents were video-taped at the participants’ office or home.

8. In addition, each participant was asked to provide an updated vita.



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Data Analysis

§ Table 1 includes the six research questions thatguided the study and the data collection

instruments. The letters "IQ" represent eachinterview question as they align with eachresearch question.

§ An X represents data used for triangulation.The research questions were answered in thefollowing manner:



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Table 1 DataCollection __________________________________________________________ Question No. Interview Instrument Observations of Artifacts

Vita __________________________________________________________ Research Question 1 IQ 1 X X

Research Question 2 IQ 2Research Question 3 IQ 4

Research Question 4 IQ 3Research Question 5 IQ 7 & 8

Research Question 6 IQ5& 6 X x _________________________________________________________

Note. Research questions will be answered by the interview

instrument (IQ). The X represents data that will be used for

triangulation. Demographic information will be used for

triangulation as well.



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§ The analysis of the data was guided by CriticalRace/Resiliency Theories, and mentorship.

The process began by bracketing or suspending the researcher's personal biasconcerning leadership.

§ The researcher read and horizontalized thetranscribed interview responses andobservations by describing how the

participants had experienced leadership.



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§ The researcher also allowed the participants toreview their responses and make revisions,

omit, or add additional comments.

§ Once the data was analyzed, the results werereported through a combination of narration,

tables, and figures.



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Data Analysis

§ Chapter four contained the narration of thehistorical, social, and reflective aspects of

leadership among seven African Americanmale educational leaders and how theyovercame barriers in the attainment of their career goals.



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§ An individual file was created for each participant with the letter A representing

participant 1, letter B for participant 2, letter Cfor participant 3, letter D for participant 4,letter E for participant 5, letter F for participant6, and letter G for participant 7. A similar filewas created for the participants’ observationsof artifacts.



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Narrative Responses: IQ and RQ

1. When and how did your journey toward leadership begin?

2. Throughout your life, what social, educational, or political risk factors did you experience as potential road-blocks in the pursuit of your career goals and how did you overcome them?

3. What do you contribute to most of your ability to overcome barriers throughout your career as an educational leader? 4. During your life as a young man, who were the leaders that

inspired you, what qualities did they possess and how did thesequalities influence your leadership?



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5. How do you think African American male educational leadership adds valueto the mainstream of society?

6. Provide examples of how your legacy has impacted the lives of students/former students by implementation of leadership programs,strategies, curriculum, and theories targeted toward African American

males.

7. Describe policies, political office, or positions of power that assisted seveneducational leaders in becoming change agents of local, state, or national policy.

8. Describe what it means to be an African American male in a leadership position that helped pave the way for African American males.

9. What keeps seven African American male educational leaders continuingtheir life of service?



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What was the evolution of leadership over the

past three decades of seven African Americanmale educational leaders from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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q Participant AI believe my journey toward leadership actually startedwhen I was probably in elementary school. I think

some of my teachers recognized that I had a gift for teaching. I was actually, I guess, a kind of peer tutor. Ididn't know what I was doing back then in those days;I was just doing what I was asked to do. When I think about it though, that's how they utilized the gift that I

had to support other students. I think that was whenmy journey toward leadership began.



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q Participant B

I suppose it began when I started participating as anathlete in school. It was in elementary school…

physical education, when I started playing sports. Ifound that my teammates asked me to do certainthings, or be in charge of certain things. They wouldsay such things as, “Let me be on your team.” I guessyou would call that the quality of a leader…whenothers want to be with you. That was when I firststarted noticing myself.



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g

q Participant C I would say that my leadership journey began in highschool. When I was growing up in the rural, segregatedSouth, I participated in a program which was called the

“New Farmers of America” (NFA). As part of that we,went through leadership training. We were taughtleadership skills and given opportunities to participate inleadership.



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q Participant DMost of my interaction was with family, and Ithink leadership kind of started from this

interaction. My great-grandfather wasinstrumental in my pursuit of education becausehe developed one of the first Black schools inWaller County.



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q Participant E Unfortunately, my mother died when I was eight yearsold, so my aunt, who was my father’s sister, came to livewith us. She was a teacher, and she really inspired me to

be a teacher without a direct influence.

Apparently, somebody recognized leadership skillswithin me and felt that I could make a contribution. I

seized upon the opportunity to serve, and whatever I participated in, I always gave it my best.



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q Participant F Well, I think I was born a leader really. I alwayswanted to do the best at whatever I set my mindto accomplish; it was just a natural thing. My parents didn’t have to make me do anything because I was self-motivated.



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q Participant G My journey toward leadership began in collegewhen I was exposed to one person in particular, a

coach. As a young boy, the coach would allowme to watch the team practice. I had a greatamount of respect for him and the way he ledthat team.



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What critical moments in history haveimpacted the educational leadership style(s)

of seven African American maleeducational leaders from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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q Participant AGrowing up, I can recall the separate water fountains. I can recall having to ride in the back of the bus. We always had to make sure wecarried food. When we were on trips, we couldn'talways and didn't know if there would be placesto stop.



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There was nothing to compare it to becauseyou didn't know any other way of life. During

Integration, I couldn't understand why the Black administrators, the counselors, and the senior English teachers at the high school, were given positions of lesser authority and prestige. These

experiences caused me to take risks in fightingfor what I thought was right; even today, as aleader, I take risks, but they are calculated risks.



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q Participant BWell, the Jim Crow Law itself was an unconstitutionallaw that said certain things about a human, and I grew upwith that law. That law said that you were not equal to

other people, but it afforded an opportunity for you todevelop your potential. The Civil Rights movementafforded many Black males an opportunity to participatein manhood…to participate in standing for something

that they felt was just and right.



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q Participant C Well, communities were segregated. We had Black leadership inthe Black community. We had Black neighborhoods and Black

businesses, even in the small towns. You could easily identifyleadership because it started with the churches. The churches werealways a powerful force in the community. Those individuals werethe outgoing people, the people with resources. So they werelooked up to as leaders in the Black community. Butopportunities were still limited. So, this caused me to alter mygoals to pursue education and attain my advanced degrees.



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q Participant DDuring my formative years, racism was prevalent, but Iwas never exposed to it. Even though we heard about theracial turmoil of the nation, we were sheltered within our

communities and them in theirs. We just accepted it as away of life. If there’s something blocking my path, I

believed that I could still get there some kind of way.One has to work around the obstacles in order to reachtheir destination. I never recognized the challenges of racism.



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q Participant E In the era in which I grew- up, if you were

aspiring to be a leader, you were aspiring to be a

leader in the context of a Jim Crow and not a

world situation. The Jim Crow Era afforded

opportunities for male role models as teachers

since career options were limited.

I think that the integration we fought for as a



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q Participant F One of the things I felt was awesome during segregationwas that we had the HBCUs. As a result of the CivilRights Movement, the doors opened and gave us an

opportunity to prove our capability of handling situationsthat faced us. The negative part of the movement was thatsome people probably would not have put us in positionswe had the capacity to fulfill.



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q Participant G

Growing up in the Black community gave us such a strong

foundation. Having strong mentors and role models that

demonstrated excellence in their field was a source of inspiration

for me. The Civil Rights Movement had a great impact.

It allowed African American males to demonstrate their leadership.

Dr. King used his logic and reasoning in understanding how to



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Which leaders from the past have left an

impression on seven African American maleeducational leaders from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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q Participant AThere were the principals of the school that inspiredme, and certainly my father and mother. My mentorswere my ministers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,

Presidents Kennedy, Eisenhower, and, later, RonaldReagan, and even international leaders. So, I think that the people that inspired me were people who provided leadership in such a way that got the job

done.



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q Participant BThere is a laundry list of males who inspired me. Therewere coaches, physical education teachers, principals,spiritual leaders, gentlemen in the community, presidents

of my university, and presidents who were my fraternity brothers. Those were the kinds of people that I gravitatedto. For me, it goes back to the people who were your mentors and those you respected and wanted to be like.If I were to describe them…they all had integrity andself-discipline; their demeanor seemed to be so fair and

just.



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q Participant C My father brought us up fearing God, and he taught us to work for what we wanted. I was inspired in college when I started tolearn about Martin Luther King Jr., Ralph Abernathy, Julian

Bond, Andy Young, and some of the mega-church leaders. Thething that I saw were good, righteous, upstanding men, whohad family values, and were educated. That’s what I wanted to be. And, I remember watching Martin Luther King Jr.. He waswilling to sacrifice everything to help bring others along.



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q Participant DWhile growing up in the country, I was exposed to Sam Tucker, aBlack cowboy. At a young age, I would have liked to have

patterned my life after his. He was a strong Black man, who wouldtell stories of how he grew up. He was just a strong person. Hisdemeanor was so calm...he was just outstanding. He took responsibility for his wife, worked at the ranch, and took care of his people. As a foreman, he made sure everyone worked together well at the ranch. He was hard-working. His style was notauthoritative, and you never heard him holler at anyone; he would

just go to work.



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q Participant E I, undoubtedly, attribute my ascension intoadministration to the president of the University atthe time. I had no aspirations to be an administrator,

but I rose to the occasion when my talents andabilities were needed. He had well-organized andwell-defined goals. Once a task was started, it had to be finished. Dr. Thomas emphasized these virtues.



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q Participant F Well, my inspiration to be a leader came from my dad.He was the embodiment of a champion. I had rolemodels during high school and college that had a great

impact on me. While attending the university as astudent, I had three Black professors who became mymentors. I had an outstanding example of leadershipfrom the president of the university at the time. Theywere caring and you could touch them because they wereapproachable. They were all about the students.



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q Participant G

Dr. Patterson was one of the leaders that I really admired. Patterson

then went on to become the president of Hampton University, andhe helped organized the Negro College Fund. One of my professors of biology at the University was another mentor. The president was good at bringing quality leaders to the University. Iwas so impressed with the administrators and teachers at the

University. Their educational level was second to none. So, I wasexposed to many great teachers and leaders who inspired me to become an educator. They just had the winning philosophy.



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In the face of social, political, or racialadversities, what influenced the decisions of

seven African American male educationalleaders from a Southwestern Historically Black College and University?



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q Participant AWhenever something comes up, I still kind of weigh the risksinvolved. There are certain things you do, whether the risk is highor low, because it's something you have to do. Over the years, Ihave developed an eclectic style of leadership. I try to reachconsensus; now that doesn’t always work.

I also recognize that barriers are often self-imposed. I guess Idon't see a lot of barriers. It may be a slight detour that may havecaused me to slow down in pursuing something, but it was not a

barrier.



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q Participant BThere may be a term called demands, but I don't see themas barriers; I see them as demands to be successful.And, if you wish to be successful in this arena, these are

the demands you have to meet. For example: If you learnwhat is correct, even though the law said I'm not

privileged to mix with you, I'm not denied theopportunity to know what you know because leadershipqualities and skills are not owned by anybody. Myleadership style is one of respect for the individuals inwhich I interact.



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q Participant C I would say my faith in God… I don't talk about it a lot, but that's

been the big stabilizer for me. Going through many challenges, Icould always know that going back to Biblical scripture andreading my favorites would give me comfort in knowing that inthe end, I'm going to be okay. When I saw the direction, theimpact that segregation, now desegregation, was having, it mademe change my thinking. These jobs are not going to be there for me in the future. So, I thought maybe I should set my sights on thecollege level. Over the years, I’ve learned that you get more done

through democratic leadership.



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q Participant D

It’s hard to answer why those experiences didn’t

stop me… I guess it’s like going from here to

that building outside. I can walk straight, or I

can go around to get to the building. If there’s

something blocking my path, I believed that I

could still get there some kind of way. Racism

was one of those factors. One has to work

around the obstacles in order to reach their



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q Participant E One has to keep a positive frame of mind. I have never

been a negative person. I speak positively and look onthe bright side of things. If you have confidence in your

ability, then you will work toward accomplishing your goals. When I was in college, I went to Black schoolsand White students went to White schools. I finishedcollege in the 1950’s and went to graduate school, but Idid not find this arrangement to be a handicap; Idiscovered that it was a strength. I believe in

participatory democracy.



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q Participant F My dedication to education has helped students tounderstand that they can't get anywhere without workinghard and to be the best that they can be. I teach those

ideas, and demonstrate to them what it takes to be a greatthinker. I teach them to have a positive attitude, and thatif anybody else could do it, they could, too. We don'thave that kind of enrichment of Black professorsanymore. It's scary that nobody cares about our youngBlack males. I put blood, sweat and tears into mystudents…I work night and day trying to help them.



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q Participant G Having knowledge and being educated were factors thathelped me to overcome challenges, in addition to havingstrong mentors and role models that demonstrated

excellence in their field. So, yes, there were laws, andwe knew those laws; but we were intelligent enough toabide by them, and not allow the laws to subjugate us toinferiority. These events did not alter my leadershipstyle…I’ve always believed in transparency andconsensus among the group.

R h Q i #5



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What is the essence of the leadership of seven

African American male educational leaders froma Southwestern Historically Black College andUniversity?



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q Participant AI see it as a big responsibility being in a position toencourage younger Black males to do the best they can. I'm trying to make sure that younger Black males have

many experiences to lead and take advantage of opportunities that come up. I just worry when I seeBlack males that are being placed in positions where theymay not have that same kind of encouragement, which iswhy I take mentoring very seriously.

3



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3

q Participant BFor me…if I were to sum it up… if I can help somebody,let me do that. When a male sees me, I'd like for him tosee and desire to use many of those strategies that he sees

within me. We have to set examples as leaders to inspirethem to emulate the qualities of a leader; therefore, wemust lead correctly. There are many people who areleaders, but their behavior is unacceptable. Therefore,African American males who are looking at those typesof leaders need to be careful of what they choose.



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q Participant C In my graduate school days, we talked about how wewere treated different and were held to differentexpectations. But at the same time, we had a

responsibility to stand strong. What I mean was that therehas always been a double or triple standard. Standardsare not the same if you're a Black man. So, I learned thatit's not really the position that you're in that matters; it'swhat you do with the one you have. The example I triedto set was to do all I could to the best of my abilitywherever I went.



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q Participant DServing as an African American educational leader means havingthe ability to impact the lives of people. The heart of myleadership has been the power to “impact”. If you look at amedical doctor, while he may be the one who is making theimpact, he can only touch one person at a time.

But, as an educator, you have the potential to reach twenty, thirty,forty, or perhaps a hundred people at one time. So, impacting thelives of people... that is the key. That is what educational

leadership means to me.



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q Participant E I think we are here to make a contribution. You have tomake some type of impact on society. And if you aregoing to do it, you give your best to the people with

whom you are interacting.

The students are our clientele. If you made any impact,then you should certainly inspire the student to pursuethe profession to which they aspire.



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q Participant F It feels great. It's a joy. It's outstanding, considering the impact thatI've had on young people at the University and beyond. Thereputation of my teaching style has encouraged students to come tomy alma mata seeking my instruction.

The journey has been great, and as I sit back and reflect, I know Ididn't cheat my students. They were successful all across thecountry because they had the background knowledge. I thank Godfor that, and it has been a blessing to have influenced the lives of

my students.



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q Participant G

“I think it was an accomplishment.”

R h Q ti #6



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How has the leadership of seven African

American male educational leaders influencedstudents, policy, the development of programs,strategies, and curriculum at a SouthwesternHBCU in Texas?



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q Participant AFor society, in general, I think the African American

population brings the ability to solve problems that maycome from a different perspective. How did we survive

during the Jim Crow era?

How did we survive when people thought we were less

than human? I think just that “survival instinct” is

something we can bring to the table.



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q Participant BServing as a role model is important. There is adisconnect in what I think the young Black males today, based upon the period in time inwhich they are growing up, have tried toredefine some basic things like respect, integrity,and honesty.



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q Participant C Well, even now, we’ve made a lot of progress, but there’sstill a lot of work to be done with this whole issue of race. As African Americans, we were taught to get an

education, but that was still not enough...opportunitiesstill won’t be equal.

So, you basically have to out work your competition, and be twice as good; you have to understand that going in.You can get through some of that, but you've got to bewilling to work extra hard to overcome inequality.



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q Participant DThe truth is “uncompromising” discipline…That’s

probably the best description of what African Americanmale leaders offer. In my opinion, this quality kind of

sums up what President Obama represents: truthful,uncompromising discipline, which indicates that heknows what needs to be done. The President has peoplechallenging him in many different ways, yet hedemonstrates the strong ability to listen to them. Even asPresident of the United States of America, Barack Obamais still denied the respect he deserves.



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q Participant E First of all, there is a great need for the representation of rolemodels among all ethnic groups. I believe that seeing variousethnic groups in leadership roles provide hope and the possibilityof being successful in life.

If young adults have never witnessed someone from their ethnic background in certain positions of authority, then their aspirationscould be limited. For example: witnessing Barack Obama as thePresident of the United States of America was a historical event

for African Americans.



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q Participant F When people of other groups recognize our accomplishments as African-Americans, they areamazed. Schools don't teach Black history to White

students, Asians, or whomever, so they don't know thatBlack people have made significant contributions tosociety.

President Obama has made an impact now, but thestruggle to overcome had already been established by Dr.King and others in what they had done for society.



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q Participant G The first thing that educational leaders mustunderstand is that they're not bosses; they’releaders. Leaders command they don't demand. As a leader, you have to clearly understand and become familiar with the people that you'reworking with and serving.

Research Question #6 (cont )



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Research Question #6 (cont.)

How has the leadership of seven AfricanAmerican male educational leaders influenced

students, policy, the development of programs,strategies, and curriculum from a SouthwesternHistorically Black College and University?



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(part two-policy/programs, etc)

q Participant AWell, I’ll give one example: the Capital

Campaign…. We raised $33 million when theeconomy was down. I was on the FacultyAdvisory Committee at the district level. I’vewritten and continue to write policies for the

University.



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q Participant BIn my case, individuals are privileged to write an acknowledgment in their research papers in my class. I have just hundreds of acknowledgments thatexpress their appreciation for helping them to conduct research correctly.

For the 55 years that I've been here, I've been able to lead in some of thehighest levels of leadership because of the reputation that I have developed inhigh school and by men who served as my mentors. I've been privileged tohave a reputation of someone that knows how to get a job done as it relates toleadership. When you look at my legacy, when you look at my background, people voted me into those positions.



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q Participant C I'm proud that I was responsible for a program that started back in1982, the Research Apprentice Program (RAP). We exposed thestudents to role models and mentors, field trips, industries, andother places; A lot of PhDs, MDs and JDs have come through the

program and are very successful.

Probably one of the highest positions that I've served was chair of the Experimental Station Committee on Policy back in 2005-2006.We had a lot to do with the formation of the 2008 Farm Bill, in

which we set policies and programs that impacted agriculture; Iwas an integral part of writing that bill.



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q Participant DWell, some of my former students have went on to obtaintheir Ph Ds . I guess over eighteen years, I can say that Ihelped in the development of the electrical engineering

curriculum and pushed for the establishment of sevenengineering labs; When I was serving as the interimdean, I presented the administration with the Masters inElectrical Engineering with the possibility of designing aPhD program in a few years. So, I introduced the conceptand the information on how to get the programs started.



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q Participant E In fifty-eight years I have touched a lot of students. Iimagine, at that time, I am sure there are at least 400 or 500 physicians that I have taught, and it is something to

be proud of. At one time, every student that went tomedical school had to take my class. As the departmenthead, I was involved in curriculum changes in biology,which included the input of faculty members.



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q Participant F Just about all of the students in engineering wereinfluenced by me because they were required to takemy class. This number also included high schools

across the state of Texas and other schools in thenation. As a faculty, we have been able to write proposals and get grants for millions of dollars tosponsor programs that benefited the students.



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q Participant G I have a list of students who have graduated and gone tomedical school from 2000-2011, and it reads as follows: the University of Texas Medical Branch, Tulane

University, Baylor College of Medicine, BostonUniversity College of Medicine, Brown UniversityProgram of Medicine, Howard University, IndianaUniversity, John Hopkins School of Medicine, MeharryMedical College, Michigan State University of Medicine,

New York College of Osteopathic Medicine,



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Ohio University, Oklahoma State School of Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Russia Medical, Temple

University, Texas A&M University, Texas TechUniversity,



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The University of California, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, and the

University of Florida College of Medicine.

Findings, Implications, and



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Recommendations

q The analysis yielded six common themes that wereidentified as protective factors to the success of theseven participants of the study:

a. Recognition of and opportunities for leadership;

b. Recognition of the positive and negative impact of

segregation and integration;



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c. Community, family, and national leaders asmentors;

d. Negative risk factors were not acknowledged asroadblocks;

e. African American males impact and continuedservice to youth;

f. Influence inside and outside of the schoolcommunity.

Common Themes



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Common Themes

A. Recognition and Opportunities for Leadership

§. The evolution of the leadership for the majority of the participants seemedto have originated during their formative years, some as early as elementary school.All seven participants pointed out that individuals such as teachers, peers , family andadministrators were significant to their leadership development.The recognition of their talents and leadership qualities allowed the appointment or election into leadership positions.

§. It was during segregation in Black schools thateach participant was given the opportunity to recognize experiencesand exercise their leadership ability.Benson, 2010; Berry, 2008; and Bacon, 2002 were studies that also found that African

American male educational leaders were critical to the development , nurturing, andempowerment of students.



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§ The participants pursued education as a career path by influence or limited job opportunities. Duringtheir tenure at the University, as young men, they

were given the opportunity to fill leadership positions at an HBCU.

§ Some took on the responsibilities and title of aspecific position yet did not receive the pay.



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B. Recognized Negative and Positive Impacts of Segregation and Integration

§All seven participants agreed that the Jim Crow era had accomplished itsmission of establishing a culture of inequality and separatism thateventually became the norm.

§

All seven participants also agreed that segregation and the laws becamea protective factor by providing African American males the opportunityto exercise their leadership and manhood by solving political and socialproblems that the nation's leaders would not address. Gritter (2010) foundthat while participants were subject to the laws at the time, Black southernersused their knowledge and intellect to advance the education of their people.



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§ Although the aftermath of discrimination and inequality were experiencedthroughout their lives, the seven participants did not view such criticalmoments in history for African Americans as risk factors or barriers totheir success. Jordan-Taylor (2010) examine the resiliency of nine

southern educators in overcoming inequality and returning to the South to provide better educational experiences for African American students.

§ Five out of the seven participants agreed the struggles that they had toendure did not affect their philosophy of leadership because it had already been established through their list of mentors and role models.



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§ Two out of the seven participants noted that during the earlystages of their leadership, they were autocratic in their approach

but later developed a more democratic and eclectic approach.

§ The issues that were presented during their lived experienceswere viewed as challenges that could be defeated through faithand belief that they could overcome, financial independence,knowledge, taking risks for the sake of the cause, and access todynamic role-models that understood the mission of cultivatinga strong African American nation.



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C. Community, Family, and National Leaders asMentors

§. The seven participants stated their mentors and role

models were a kaleidoscope of local and nationalleaders at the familial, community, educational,spiritual and national levels. Frazier (2009) foundthat family, community, and national leaders werecritical to the recognition, selection, and development

of African American leadership.



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§ All seven participants, identified teachers andeducational administrators as mentors and rolemodels. The participants expressed how their mentors led by example by way of integrity,discipline, teamwork, goal orientation, perseverance, education, and compassion(Scott, 2011).



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§ The lives of these men and women were socompelling that the seven participants were

inspired to imitate the qualities andcharacteristics they saw exercised by their mentors and role models, which became thefoundation and later, the bedrock of their

leadership (Jackson, 2008).



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§ The seven participants attributed their career

success in the field of education to parents or family members, teachers, administrators, andnational leaders during pivotal moments inBlack history.



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§ According to the participants of theresearcher’s study, African Americancommunities were powerful and developedoutstanding educational values when theyembraced the same ideals as a collective group(DuBois, 1903/2003; Woodson, 1933/2005).



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§ One participant felt strongly that the Black community lost its sense of direction whenAfrican American national leaders wereassassinated. Because no alternative leader was in place after the assination of Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., the African Americancommunity lacked a sense of direction.



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§ Another participant concluded that after African Americans gained a degree of rights

and equality, though not complete, the struggleto fight for a just cause diminished. He believed this slowed the momentum of continuing to gain knowledge, exercising and

demanding excellence from oneself and thevalue of community and church.



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§ All seven participants are actively engaged inmentoring African American male youth. The

impact and results of their mentoring has not been quantified.

§

The study revealed that mentoring was astrong predictor of success for AfricanAmerican males.



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D. Negative Risk Factors Not Acknowledged as Roadblocks

§ As it pertains to social, political, and racial barriersthat had the potential to serve as a roadblock to the

participants success, five out of the seven participantsdid not recognize barriers as a force to circumventtheir career goals. Each viewed barriers asopportunities to exercise their faith, acquire

knowledge to meet the demands of unjust laws,develop a positive attitude, and develop strong work ethics (Daniel, 2006; Adell, 2004; Kennedy, 2008).



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§ Four participants mentioned their faith in Godas a protective factor in overcoming barriers tosuccess. Overall, the participants of the studyhad access to an array of positive role modelsand strong family connections.



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E.

African American Males Continued Service to Impact Youth

§. The commonality among the seven participants' responses was the importance of having the opportunity to influence the livesof students (Barker, 2009).



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§ The participants attributed their resiliency, to role modeling for assurance of core values, education, double standard work ethics, uncompromising discipline, and effective people skills.Possessing the ability to overcome barriers from a differentcultural perspective enabled Participant A to bounce back fromthe impact of unjust laws.

§ Walker (2007) exploration of 12 African American male leaders

utilized their social and academic knowledge to enhance their leadership skills in actively serving their institutions, whichserved as a buffer against negative stereotyping.



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§ Participants B, C, and D felt that serving asrole models could guide and preserve valuesthat define manhood. Participant F postulatedthat the absence of African American historyin mainstream schools have robbed society of the rich contributions and intellect of AfricanAmericans.



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§ The participants who no longer serve in anadministrative role are back in the classroomreported having more satisfaction and an evengreater potential to touch the lives of studentswho need to see examples of successfulAfrican-American male leaders.



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F. Influence Inside and Outside of the School

Community

§ Over 30 years of experience in the area of the endowments andgrant proposals were represented by four out of the seven participants such as the “Capital Campaign”, agriculture,math/science, and biology grant proposals.

§

These funds provide scholarships for students and fund programs and research projects. All seven participants either developed policy or curriculum at the university, state, or national levels. Lucas (2010) and Howard (2007) revealed thatservice/partnerships in and outside the school communitysupports student growth and the value of civic engagement.



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§All seven participants expressedtheir fulfillment in serving as mentors/role models to their students. The

medical profession/schools across the nationhave accepted myriads of students becauseof the reputation established by two of the participants.



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§ The same is true of the engineering program.One of the seven participants of the study had

the opportunity to impact his son who nowserves society as a medical doctor. Six out of the seven participants had former students whostarted in their program and have earned

degrees at the Master’s and PhD level.



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§ While only a few participants of theresearchers study have had an impact on

society at the state, national, and internationallevels, all seven of the participants agreed thatinfluencing, serving, and shaping the lives of students was their primary goal and the reason

they looked forward to coming to work everyday.

HBCUs Helped Prepare Students for S ccess



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Success

§ According to the participants, HBCUs were

havens during segregation because they provided examples of great educational rolemodels and exposed African Americans towhat was taking place in mainstream society.



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§ Many participants were not privileged to havetheir college tuition paid for, so they had towork and save the money or join the service.This concept goes back to the idea that nothingin life is free. True success means putting fortha significant amount of effort and mentaldiscipline.



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§ Their goals were crystallized as well. Theyknew they wanted to pursue education but did

not realize they would end up as educationalleaders at an HBCU. All seven participantshave held (and some continue to hold) anadministrative position. Most of the

participants are back in the classrooms asinstructors/administrators.



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Injustice Gave Birth to the Demand to be

Successful§ Five out of the seven participants did not

recognize barriers as a force to circumventtheir career goals but as opportunities toexercise their faith, acquire their knowledgeto meet the demands of unjust laws, maintain

a positive attitude, and develop strong work ethics.



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Faith in God, Education and Role Models§ At the high school and collegiate level, and

the beginning of administration, participantshad successful male role models who

believed, advised, and interacted with them.Some African American national and stateleaders had an indirect impact that helpedframe some of the participants’ journey

toward leadership.



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§ Having a solid family structure was a positivefactor to the success of the participants.

§ Another factor was having a father that led byexample by way of teaching hard work ethics,commitment to completing a task, supportingand providing for the family, modelingexcellence, and maintaining their integritythrough the times of social, political, and

educational challenges

Summary Conclusions/ Impact on Researcher



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§ The participant’s resiliency speaks tosubsequent generations that life is about

accessing proper guidance and making rightchoices. The lives of these men also taught thatlife comes with its set of challenges and set- backs, but through faith, dedication, and hard

work, one can “bounce- back” and overcome barriers to success.



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§ The participant’s example of integrity,

dedication, and commitment to excellence has become instrumental in the lives of thosewhom they have served and continue to serve.



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§ The results of the study indicates these sevenleaders to be strong, bold, confident, and agentle composition of the human race…livinglegacies…the essence of leadership.

Implications for Further Practice



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Opportunities to Demonstrate Leadership

§ Just as these powerful men were given opportunities todemonstrate leadership at the primary, secondary, andcollegiate levels, school officials should focus on

building critical pedagogical competence. Relationship building and getting to know the strengths of their African American male population can create

opportunities to exercise their talents.

Recommendations for Further Study



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1. A study could be conducted on African Americanmale educational leaders who have served 30+ yearsat a Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) in

higher education.

2. A study could be conducted on African Americanmale educational leaders’ who have served 30+ years

at private institutions in higher education.



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3. A study could be conducted on AfricanAmerican male educational leadership andinfluence at community colleges.

4. A study could be conducted on the students

perceptions of African American male

educational leaders at an HBCU.



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5. A study could be conducted on African Americanmale students’ perception of African Americanmale educational leaders as mentors and rolemodels.

6. A study could be conducted on the contributionsand influences of African American femaleeducational leaders who have served 30+ years at

an HBCU.



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7. A study could be conducted on thecontributions and influence of AfricanAmerican female educational leaders at a

PWI.

8. A study could be conducted on AfricanAmerican female educational leaders and

their role as mentors and role models for African American female students at anHBCU.



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9. A study could be conducted on African Americanfemale educational leaders and their role asmentors and role models for African Americanfemale students at a PWI.

10. A study could be conducted on the AfricanAmerican female students and their perceptions of African American female educational leaders asmentors and role models.



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11. A study could be conducted on minoritystudents’ perceptions of African American maleeducational leaders as mentors and role models atan HBCU.



Thank You

Mary Ann Springs, PhD Dissertation Defense PPT., Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair

Documents

Transcript of Mary Ann Springs, PhD Dissertation Defense PPT., Dr. W.A. Kritsonis, Dissertation Chair