Black women's pathway into the professoriate is an area of academic research that has been largely understudied. Contemporary research investigating the lack of representation of Black women in the professoriate reveal that the underrepresentation of Black women in faculty positions is the result of complex and intersecting factors, including historical, structural, and systemic issues (Croom, 2017; Dade et al., 2015; Davis & Brown, 2017; Evans, 2016; Fields, 2020; Garrett et al., 2023; Kelly et al., 2017; Patton & Haynes, 2018). Though these studies offer critical insights into the racially gendered biases and institutional barriers Black women experience in the academy, limited research is available on how these barriers may appear for Black women as they navigate the academic job market. As a result, in this research study, I investigated the experiences of Black women in their pursuit of a career in the academy. Drawing upon the theories of Black Feminist Thought (Collins, 1989; 2000), institutional racism (Carmichael & Hamilton 1967), and gendered racism (Philomena Essed 1991), I introduced "institutionalized gendered racism" as my conceptual framework to provide context for the distinctive challenges faced by Black women within higher education institutions. I define institutionalized gendered racism as a specific form of racism that intersects with gender-based discrimination, shaping the longstanding institutional policies and practices embedded into the structural systems of colleges and universities. I argued that investigating the experiences of Black women during the academic job search process can provide valuable insights into their persistent underrepresentation in academia. Focusing specifically on Black women pursuing tenure-track faculty positions, the primary questions investigated in this research study were: (1) "How do Black women perceive their experiences with institutionalized gendered racism during the faculty job search process for tenure-track faculty positions at four-year higher education institutions?" and (2) "What strategies do Black women employ to cope with their experiences with institutionalized gendered racism while navigating the faculty job search process for tenure-track positions at four-year higher education institutions?" Using narrative research as my study design, I examine the experiences of 25 Black women who were in active pursuit of, or had recently been appointed to, tenure-track faculty positions at four-year institutions between 2019 and 2022. My findings indicate that the Black women in my study largely recognized their experiences with institutionalized gendered racism and its potential influence on their faculty job search process. As a result, to confront the impact of institutionalized gendered racism, the Black women in my study developed several coping strategies including: (1) negotiating respectability politics, (2) challenging intersectional invisibility, and (3) prioritizing psychological health. Overall, the results from my study carry considerable implications for the persistence of Black women faculty in academia, offering valuable insights into actions that colleges and universities can take to cultivate an environment that is both equitable and inclusive. To support the recruitment and subsequent retention of Black women faculty, colleges and universities should: (1) implement targeted outreach and recruitment efforts for Black women scholars, (2) provide critical recruitment and selection training for all members of faculty search committees, and (3) center Black women as possibility models for institutional transformation. [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.]