0.6 Challenges facing black american principals: a conversation  (Page 13/22)

In order to support this administrator’s dilemma, the sport of golf is used as a racial metaphor. A formeruniversity dean described golfing as an engaging sport that creates a dialogue for a multiplicity of topics including race. This sportalso offers a metaphor for understanding the culture in which we live. According to Albert Doucette, during golf, a lesser playermay be given a Two Gotcha Handicap. At any time during the game, the player could stand behind the better player and in the middleof the person’s shot yell "gotcha." This outburst obviously would interfere with the player’s shot. This first, of two or more“gotchas”, was used very early in the game. The second“gotcha”was used very late or never. Hence, it was the anticipation of its usethat ruined the better player's focus and game success. There is a correlation between golf and actions of racism. People of colormeet prejudice early in life. This is their first“gotcha.”They then anticipate the second or subsequent gotchas for the rest oftheir lives. This anticipation often ruins much of their life because sometimes behaviors of the dominant culture can beperceived as racist when in actuality they are not and at other times actions are certainly acts of blatant racism. Whether mirageor reality, both situations play with the human psyche and often cause members of historically underrepresented groups to imitatethe discriminatory actions of many dominant culture members. Consequently, people of color often begin to target one anotherwith acts of wrongness.

In a stratified and multiethnic society, those at the bottom of the stratification system tend to vie forresources and opportunities by exhibiting the“battle royal”of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952). Ellison illustrates that Blacks, like crabs in a bucket, are often forced to entertain theworld whereby one crab attempts to make it to the top toward liberation but does not succeed because it is quickly pulled downby another crab below.

The crabs in a bucket idea can be consciously and unconsciously evoked when there has been one person of color ina work environment and a new person of color arrives. The newcomer’s arrival may create a feeling of competition and back stabbing by the former employee rather than generating a welcomingatmosphere where there is unity in numbers and collaboration. This behavior occurs in far too many cases; Black principals are victimswho have been taught to problem solve through coercive tactics rather than mind, intellect, and futuristic ideology.

Many of the participants (52%) mentioned health as a factor in effecting successful principals. The positionwas consistently described as“highly stressful.”Among the list of health concerns faced by Black principals were high blood pressure,cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Hence, the survey participants in this study advocate infusing a healthy exerciseregiment into the administrative lifestyle. According to principal, Reginald Elzy, a seventeen year educational professional,“I wake up every morning and work-out beginning from 4:45am-5:45am.”Carolyn Roman, twenty-seven year career professional, suggested,“I had a flare-up with high blood pressure and immediately startedwalking. Thank God I do not have to rely on high blood pressure or behavior altering medications as many of my colleagues do.”The respondent, continued,“Issues of health seem to be really important during career changes.”