The 1954 "Brown v. Board of Education" decision is significant with respect to African Americans in the principalship for several reasons. First, teachers, principals, and parents were the most important influences in the education of Black children in the pre-"Brown" era of schooling. Thus, discussions about the "Brown" decision and the education of Blacks cannot be held absent discussions about the roles played by the central figure in the school: the Black principal. As the research reviewed here will reveal, it was the Black principal who led the closed system of segregated schooling for Blacks, primarily in the South. The Black principal represented the Black community; was regarded as the authority on educational, social, and economic issues; and was responsible for establishing the all-Black school as the cultural symbol of the Black community. Second, the work of Black principals in the post-"Brown" era has contributed to the theory and practice of educational leadership. As this review will also reveal, the leadership of post-"Brown" African American principals is similar to that of their pre-"Brown" predecessors. Finally, the "Brown" decision is significant with respect to Black principals because one of the goals of the decision was to remedy educational inequities and thus allow Black principals to continue their work under improved social and educational conditions. [This article represents Chapter 4 of "'Brown's' Influence on Education and Education Research: Critical Insights, Uneven Implementation, and Unanticipated Consequences," "Review of Research in Education," v28, 2004 (EJ748129).]