A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE INSTRUCTORS: FUNCTIONS OF THE PRACTICES OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS by Thomas DeWayne Cash Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University 2021 2 A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE LIVED AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE INSTRUCTORS: FUNCTIONS OF THE PRACTICES OF SCHOOL SYSTEMS by Thomas DeWayne Cash A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2021 APPROVED BY: Verlyn Evans, Ed.D., Committee Chair James Swezey, Ed.D., Committee Member 3 ABSTRACT The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological investigation was to explore and ascribe meaning to the lived and professional experiences of African American male educators as functions of the practices (i.e., systemic policies and interactions with colleagues) of a suburban school system. The philosophical frameworks guiding this study were Critical Race Theory (Bell, 1970) and Tokenism (Kanter, 1977) as they relate, respectively, to the effects of engendered racism and the implications of the invisibility and hypervisibility associated with being Black male instructors. The three related sub-questions involved (1) the contributing roles of school systems’ procedures to the encounters of this group of educators (2) the additive impact of this phenomenon as a result of Black male teachers’ interactions with colleagues and educational stakeholders and (3) meanings assigned to these experiences as related to race, racism, and tokenism. The data was collected via open-ended, semi-structured interviews, an analysis of participant-provided professional artifacts, and a focus group with select respondents. Participants’ feedback was recorded via an electronic device and subsequently transcribed to ensure the accuracy of teachers’ responses. Data analysis was conducted using the tenets of hermeneutic phenomenology as defined by van Manen (1997) to include epoché, imaginative variation, clustering of recurring themes, and ascription of meaning. Factors related to gender, race, racism, and the emblematic status of being a Black man were found to impact the ways in which male educators of color assigned levels of significance to their lived and professional experiences. The aforementioned analysis created the basis for findings and implications of the current study as well as recommendation of additional topics for future investigation. Keywords: African American male teacher, Critical Race Theory, hermeneutic phenomenology, Tokenism 4 Copyright Page ©2021 Thomas DeWayne Cash All rights have been reserved. 5 Dedication This manuscript is dedicated to the perpetual memory of William Jasper and Mary Effie Cash, two of the world’s preeminent scholars who recognized the essential worth of a superior education. Their divinely inspired wisdom and matter-of-fact approach in rearing a family of 14 proved to be an invaluable contribution to their children’s success. I am immeasurably blessed to call them my parents. My foremost aspiration is to ensure that my life honors the Heavenly Father and sustains the legacy of these two individuals. This manuscript honors the love, friendship, and loyalty of the Cash siblings, my brothers and sisters, whose unwavering belief in my abilities has been a sustaining force throughout this journey. This manuscript is devoted to my nieces and nephews of whom I am immensely proud. I trust that this accomplishment will serve as motivation and encouragement for the realization of their endeavors as well. This manuscript pays homage to the professional commitment and relentless efforts of educators in Chesterfield County Public Schools (SC) who worked incessantly to guarantee that my classmates and I received a world-class education. Finally, this manuscript is dedicated to all African American students who, notwithstanding manifold vicissitudes, elect to persist in achieving their academic goals. There are no limits to your greatness! 6 Acknowledgments I am eternally grateful to God for His blessings, grace, and mercy. This attainment is evidence that I can do all things through Him. I am beholden to my wife, Brooke, who has been my greatest inspiration, cheerleader, and editor-in-chief. We canceled or postponed innumerable outings to critique articles, collaborate on ideas for projects, review abstracts for literature reviews, and ascertain that disquisitions adhered to every portion of countless rubrics. She offered impromptu, yet reassuring, prayers of encouragement during times when they were most needed. No words will ever suffice to articulate my immense gratitude for all that Sweetness did to assist in realizing this feat. I resoundingly thank her for sacrificing this time to allow my aspiration to come to fruition. I am indebted to Dr. Verlyn Evans and Dr. James Swezey, my doctoral committee, for their expertise, wisdom, and guidance. Their consummate professionalism in our interactions, posing of questions to stimulate my cognition, and words of inspiration have been invaluable during this experience. 7 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................3 Copyright Page.................................................................................................................................4 Dedication ........................................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments............................................................................................................................6 List of Tables .................................................................................................................................14 List of Abbreviations .....................................................................................................................15 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................16 Overview ............................................................................................................................16 Background ........................................................................................................................18 Historical Context ..................................................................................................19 Social Context ........................................................................................................20 Theoretical Context ................................................................................................21 Situation to Self..................................................................................................................22 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................24 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................................25 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................26 Empirical Significance ...........................................................................................26 Theoretical Significance ........................................................................................27 Practical Significance.............................................................................................27 Research Questions ............................................................................................................28 Central Research Question .....................................................................................28 Sub-Question 1.......................................................................................................29 8 Sub-Question 2.......................................................................................................29 Sub-Question 3.......................................................................................................30 Definitions..........................................................................................................................30 Summary ............................................................................................................................31 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................33 Overview ............................................................................................................................33 Theoretical Frameworks ....................................................................................................34 Critical Race Theory ..............................................................................................34 Theory of Tokenism ...............................................................................................38 Historical Overview of the Experiences of Black Male Teachers .....................................41 Related Literature...............................................................................................................44 Expectations of Black Male Teachers ....................................................................45 Expectations