Americans pursue college degrees with hopes that this achievement will open doors and create opportunities for life- and family-sustaining, professional employment. But due to systemic barriers, institutionalized racism and intentional denial and exclusion of women of color, many would-be graduates are still denied access to a college degree (Esposito, 2011; Lorde, 1992; Safia Mirza, 2014; Solorzano, Ceja, & Yosso, 2001; Yosso, 2005). At this moment in our collective history, public colleges are especially well-positioned to embrace more inclusive, equitable, anti-racist, student-centered approaches to support Black and African American women on their journeys to successful college completion. To identify areas of inequity, it is necessary to identify intentional or unintentional barriers in order to define them, isolate them, and break them down. Also important is providing a platform, uplifting the voices and narratives of students in college who have historically been excluded and silenced from telling their own stories (Esposito, 2011; Safia Mirza, 2014, hooks, 2000; 2008). This dissertation presents stories told by Black and African American women about their experiences and relationships on campus at a large, public, two-year college in the Southwest. Student interviews were collected throughout the fall 2023 semester at the college. Applying feminist theory--with an emphasis on Black womanism--as a framework, this research works to amplify the voices of Black and African American women, to collect and interpret some of their experiences, and to identify and address barriers to college success for Black and African American women in college (Crenshaw, 1982; hooks, 2000; Esposito, 2011; Ladson-Billings, 1998; Safia Mirza, 2014). A parallel intention of this research is to collect and synthesize Black and African American women's stories from college, as told in their own words, and consider ways they negotiate the path to college success, applying unique ways of knowing and being, resilience and resourcefulness, and experience navigating systemic racism (Crenshaw, 1988; Gordon, 1990; Ladson-Billings, 1998). Institutional research board (IRB) approval was obtained from NAU and the site college before collecting data. [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.]