The purpose of this qualitative exploratory multiple case study was to examine how and why some academically successful African American male students have successfully formed supportive relationships with their teachers. There exists a problem in which some teachers have difficulty in developing supportive relationships with African American males. This study focused on the experiences of students who are identified as 'academically successful African American males.' African American males in the top 20% of their class participated in the research as well as teachers who have experienced success teaching them. Questionnaires given to the students dealt with the students' level of trust of their teachers. Open-ended interview questions were used to gain teacher perceptions of the depth of their relationship with their African American male students. The following research question was investigated: What is the impact of teacher trust on the achievement gap among African American male students? This study supported the literature about the academic success of the African American male and them having a trusting relationship with their teachers. The findings from the interviews conducted with the teachers indicated that they believe they are successful in teaching African American males. They think this is because of the following: their previous experiences with working with African American male students, their recognizing ethnicity and socio-economic levels, they earned the students' trust, and they treated the students well and it led to academic success for the students. Teacher support, parental support, encouragement, and motivation were integral in promoting academic achievement in African American males. Future studies could include participants from more than one school district, examine the relationship between African American females and their teachers, could be replicated in another region of the United States and could be conducted with teachers of younger students. This research could benefit educators, families, and interested persons who are dedicated to decreasing the achievement gap between African American male middle and high school students by helping their teachers form trusting relationships with them. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]