Black Male Leaders Care Too: An Introduction to Black Masculine Caring in Educational Leadership

Background: This study addresses the leadership of African American male leaders and their operationalization of the ethic of care in their practice by analyzing the educational leadership of African American men through an ethic of care lens. Purpose: The purpose of this article is to simultaneously remind readers of the importance of caring in schools, while discussing the caring styles of Black males in leadership. Research Design: This study examined the lived experiences of 10 African American male administrators to understand their perceptions of caring leadership. The phenomenon of interest was investigated using qualitative, exploratory study methodology to facilitate the collection of rich data that tells the stories of the participants. The themes discovered during the focus group were used during the one-on-one interviews to probe deeper into the issues and evaluate the consistency of the themes. Striking similarities that fit logically into themes emerged in the data from the focus group and the individual interviews. Findings: The themes that emerged from this study did not support the stereotype so often set forth regarding Black male leadership. The major emergent themes were: Black male leaders cared and liked being associated with caring, they felt they had to mask their caring nature because of societal expectations, they view themselves as father figures, they strongly identify and connect with a sense of spirituality, they believe that action must follow caring, and they practice “rough love” as care. Conclusion: The core foundational principles of Black Masculine Caring include a framework that acknowledges Black men have the capacity to care, and often care deeply. Black men’s capacity to care depends on their prior experience as Black men. The caring exhibited by Black men is influenced by their culture, and caring demonstrated by Black men is often misunderstood or misinterpreted.