Content area
Research shows teachers of Color (TOC) benefit educational communities; therefore, school leaders desire to employ them. However, recruiting and retaining TOC is not easy, especially in predominantly White (PW) schools. To discover why, previous studies have addressed the experiences of these teachers in PW public schools. There is little research, however, on TOC experiences in Christian schools. The purpose of this study is to illuminate the shared lived experiences of a group of teachers who identify as Black and/or African American and are employed in predominantly White Christian schools in the state of North Carolina. Transcendental Phenomenological Research methods are used to portray the essence of this phenomenon. The theological foundation is a biblical understanding of what it means to be human. People are both created beings, ways they are the same, and human persons, ways they are different. Nine qualifying teachers shared their life experiences through interview sessions. Analysis of the interview transcripts revealed three sets of situated narratives, or themes. The first two sets of themes revealed (a) the essence of their experience, and (b) circumstances that influence the experience: being the only one, relationships with those in the school community, coping mechanisms, sense of calling/greater purpose, being used to predominantly White spaces, administrative support, previous life experiences, relationships with those outside the community and with God. A final set of themes revealed the advice these teachers gave to Christian leaders who desire to recruit and retain TOC in their schools.