The primary purpose of this study was to describe and explore, through interviews, how African American female principals sustain and maintain authority. This study investigated what it takes to become the authority, and how to reinforce authority and ensure that authority is understood, in administrative level school leadership positions where documented gender, age, and racial experiences have been limited. In this qualitative study, 12 African American female principals participated in this study. The principals were African American females under 50 years of age, and currently employed as a principal of a K-12 public school district in a Midwestern State.The research question was: What approaches do African American females utilize to overcome barriers and sustain academic and administrative authority? This study followed a qualitative design. A phenomenological approach was used to explore the experiences of African American females. Overall this study revealed insights on how to overcome odds to obtain and maintain the principalship position. One in-depth interview occurred and findings are presented in narrative form. The principal's story revealed that gender, age, and race have been difficult in the roles of the research participants. Each woman's story suggested barriers within leadership positions demonstrate that women do not get the same opportunity as men. The respondent's story revealed there is a need for principals to distribute authority, have trust in their staff, and facilitate conflicts that arise when decisions are shared. By producing Black feminist discourses such as these, the findings of the respondents unmasked the power of racist, sexist, or ageist practices operating within public school systems. This study identified perceived barriers that have inhibited Black females' ascension to K-12 public school principal positions and identified strategies that aided these women in overcoming the obstacles they encountered when securing the position. Ultimately, this study added to the limited knowledge based in educational administration for African American female principals since the end of the Civil Rights Movement. [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.]