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Societal barriers to the successful education of Black children were identified by the noted historian Carter G. Woodson more than 70 years ago in his classic text The Mis-Education of the Negro. Woodson argued that there were serious problems with inaccurate, ill-planned, depoliticized curriculum content and lack of resources, as well as problems with the poor, unethical preparation of teachers. Historically, Black educational leaders had to overcome these barriers as well as others to be of service to the African American community. They created schools where none existed, struggled against the perpetuation of unequal educational environments, or built viable alternative schools. Motivated by the belief that education would“uplift the race,” women and men organized and developed institutions to mitigate the harsh realities of Black life Through socially critical writings, oratorical power, and activism, many leaders succeeded in making a difference in the educational settings that served Black people. Their narratives and critiques, however, have not been incorporated as a central element in the literature of school administration, leadership, reform, and change.

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The notion of “success” is narrowly defined and appropriated within an educational context. Typically limited to objective measures of organizational productivity, effectiveness, and efficiency, “successful” principal practices, we argue, engender action and attention to a broader array of issues and interrelationships. In this study, we conducted an exploratory case study drawing from interviews with five superintendents and three principals to probe broader definitions of successful school leadership. Data analysis revealed three themes to guide further research on successful leadership practice: capillarity of leadership actions, principals’ positionality in relation to members of the school community, and principals’ actions as moral ends.

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