Successful African American male leaders in predominantly white institutions: Exploring the integration of spirituality and leadership

Historically, African American male leaders in both public and privately owned predominantly White institutions (PWIs) have to contend with various intersecting biases rooted in a historical consciousness of inferiority. This phenomena is attributed to a complex set of prejudicial beliefs and racial attitudes embedded within American society that has a difficult time accepting Black men being in a position of power and authority. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of five African American male leaders in PWIs. The guiding question was, "What does it mean to be an African American man leading in a predominately white institution?" The goal of the research was to understand how these leaders integrate their spirituality into their leadership praxis and the various roles that spirituality plays in their lived experiences. Leadership discourse is being challenged to include spirituality in its conversation. This study adds to this discussion by exploring the integration of spirituality and leadership based on the shared experiences of African American male leaders at PWIs.;Hermeneutic phenomenology was the qualitative method of inquiry utilized to describe and interpret the participants' lived experience of the same phenomenon. An interpretive phenomenological analysis of the participants' lived experiences combined with the theories contained in the conceptual framework resulted in three themes: Intersectionality, African American Spirituality, and Servant leadership. These themes resulted in a contextualized essence of the phenomenon that described: a) the racialized and spiritual experiences of African America male leaders in predominately White institutions, and b) the development of a new theory called the Intersecting Windows of Vulnerability.;The results of this study revealed how African American male leaders at PWIs integrate spirituality into their leadership praxis, and the various roles that spirituality played in: a) their relationship with a higher power to serve the needs of others, b) interpret their surroundings, c) decode social injustices, and d) thrive in the midst of adversity by transforming all of their leadership experience into a meaningful purpose.