Yes, rural communities do have African American male school leaders

The purpose of my study is to explore the lived experiences, challenges, and opportunities of African American male school leaders leading in rural schools in North Carolina. My study looks at the intersection of identity in which a school leader in a rural community is an African American male. African American males face numerous barriers in education, yet my eight participants overcame obstacles to lead schools and address the unique challenges associated with rural school leadership. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Critical Race Theory, my eight participants from five school districts shared their lived experiences of leading as rural school leaders. Equally, my study participants shared their beliefs regarding the underrepresentation of African American boys in the field of education. Utilizing basic qualitative research with elements of phenomenology, I conducted eight 60- to 90-minute semi-structured, open-ended interviews to create these counternarratives of African American males leading in rural schools in North Carolina. The findings from my study revealed opportunities for my participants to discuss how they could build relationships, demonstrate Ethno-Humanist Role Identity practices, display homophily practices, and overcome their encounters with varied forms of racism. Equally, my participants recognized the need for more targeted recruitment of African American boys and an awareness of opportunities associated within the field of education