Black Skin—Brass shields: Assessing the presumed marginalization of Black law enforcement executives

This article examines the presumed marginalization of Black law enforcement executives. In particular, it was hypothesized that study participants (n=123) would report experiencing social isolation from various support and reference groups such as subordinate personnel of both races, White peers of equivalent rank, and family/friends. Several research hypotheses, logically derived from the available literature, were not supported by the data, thereby suggesting that Black law enforcement executives are more socially welladjusted and integrated in their leadership roles than anticipated. These results suggest a reconsideration of the assumptions surrounding the contemporary working world experiences of this growing segment of leaders in the law enforcement community.