The racial composition of the school workforce is the product of a complex interaction of social forces. School constituencies such as parents, students, and teachers impact new leader preferences. Their ideas influence decisions regarding who fits into school administration and who doesn't (Williams & Loeb, 2012). These "fit" preferences can shape school district ethos, which then influences access to social networks (Tooms, 2010). Limited entry to these networks may produce multiple disadvantages, particularly for Black educators. One way to think of this access is through the concept of containment. Restricted data from the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) will be used to detect containment trends: The set of systemic barriers organizational members encounter in pursuit of access to organizational resources critical to job effectiveness and career advancement. Left unchallenged, glass barriers in employment may reinforce pejorative judgments of minorities, isolating them in high stress, and low autonomy positions (Feagin, 2006).

<p dir="ltr">This qualitative narrative inquiry studied the career journeys of five Black school principals from Indiana with five or more years of experience in their role. The purpose of this study was to understand the following: (a) the experiences of each participant including who influenced them to pursue the principal role, (b) their successful endeavors as principals, (c) the obstacles they have faced along the path to the principalship, and (d) their beliefs as to why they have persisted in the role for at least five years.</p><p dir="ltr">The data were collected through two rounds of individual semi-structured interviews with the participants. Each round was at least three weeks apart. This protocol sparked rich discussion from which five themes emerged: (1) relationships vs. results, (2) scholarship, (3) perseverance, (4) ongoing issues, and (5) mentorship. Each of these themes was revisited with each participant in the second round of interviews.</p><p dir="ltr">The analysis of the data from this study led to three specific assertions that are discussed in the final chapter. Assertion #1: Effective professional mentorship has a positive impact on Black principals’ ability to persevere. Assertion #2: Black principal perseverance is fueled by reflection and intrinsic sources of inspiration. Assertion #3: A disposition toward life-long learning has a positive impact on a Black principals’ ability to persevere. These assertions and the corresponding implications were developed after a careful examination of the current literature on school leadership and the Black principal experience. This study can be utilized as a purposeful tool to recruit, develop, and retain Black educators generally and Black school leaders specifically.</p>