Abstract
In this chapter, the author explains that research into educational equity strives to contextualize and bring empirical evidence to bear on the pedagogies and educational philosophies of people at multiple tiers of a school system who are striving for institutional transformation. He analyzed the data collected through field notes, questionnaires, surveys, and interviews. This combination of various types of data combined with particular analytic strategies allowed me to conduct his research. As a response to the endemic failures, Oakland Unified School District joined forces with community organizers, religious leaders, neighborhood elders, teachers, parents, and students to launch the Office of African American Male Achievement. These pioneers made the formal commitment that, "African American male students are extraordinary and deserve a school system that meets their unique and dynamic needs". The author presents insights from people who took time out of their horrendously busy schedules to sit with me and reflect on the AAMA journey.