The purpose of this study was to explore the personal narratives of five recent African American high school graduates, from several rural educational backgrounds, to understand the impact of ruralness on the construction of their mathematics learning process and mathematics identity. Narrative interviewing was used to gain valuable data which was analyzed through a qualitative thematic analytical approach and linear reconstructed narratives. General analysis of the data revealed that African American college students, from a particular university in the Southern part of the United States, who have a rural K-12 mathematics educational experience have distinctive experiences while learning mathematics. Three themes emerged after analysis of this study which were: (1) K-12 mathematics experiences are variable and context-dependent, (2) for better or worse, teacher relationships matter, and (3) positive peer relationships support mathematics learning. Each of the themes mentioned holds salience in the experiences of the African American participants in this study. The findings from this study enhance future research and practice in teaching and the field of education, especially for rural African American students learning mathematics. [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.]