Historically, research suggests that African American women are disproportionately represented in higher education leadership positions. There have been few studies that provide insight into the actual barriers African American women face as they climb the leadership ladder to senior level positions in higher education. The purpose of this qualitative research was to document the lived experiences and identify barriers during their ascension to leadership positions in higher education. This research used purposeful sampling and recruited ten African American women in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi, who either hold/held positions as: Chancellors/Presidents, Vice Chancellors/Vice Presidents, Provost/Associate Provost, and deans. Eight of these women were a part of a historical Black college or university and the other two were in predominately Black serving institutions. The research utilized a phenomenological approach and incorporated the central research questions and examined findings utilizing two theoretical frameworks: feminism and black feminism in two southern states; Louisiana and Mississippi, who obtained leadership positions in higher education. Data gathered in this research was examined utilizing thematic analysis to identify codes and themes in the responses of research respondents. The findings show that although race and gender will remain an issue for African American women, professional development opportunities and mentorship are critical to attaining these positions. These findings contribute to past scholarly research acknowledging the experiences, professional development, professional association, and mentorship of African American women in their ascension to higher education leadership positions. The research should provoke change in policies that govern institutions of higher education by encouraging state officials in the Department of Education. [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.]