The primary purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of academics of color (AOCs) in New England's predominantly White institutions (NE PWI). For the purpose of clarity, the abbreviation AOCs refers to faculty from one of the four ethnic minority groups: Asian American, Latino, Haitians American, American Indian, and Black/African American (Nettles, 1990). The problem addressed by this study was that it is unknown how AOCs experienced their academic career progression in PWIs. Studies have revealed that enormous career challenges may continue to hinder AOCs career progression in PWIs (Settles & Dotson, 2020, 2021). The literature review revealed that AOCs have been faced with barriers and challenges, including underrepresentation, lack of positive mentoring, improper coaching, lack of professional academic training, and salary disparities (Aguirre, 2020; Bertrand et al., 2020; Brissett, 2020; Chung et al., 2018; Davis et al., 2021; Hsieh & Nguyen, 2020; Johnson et al., 2018; Kim et al., 2021; Settles et al., 2019; Settles & Dotson, 2020, 2021; Stordahl & Han, 2018; Trejo, 2020; Turner et al., 2008). This study's conceptual and theoretical foundation aligned with Aguirre and Martinez's (2002) conceptual framework of administrative diversity and the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) facilitated the understanding of the lived experiences of AOC at NE PWI. The study was guided by three research questions: RQ1: What lived experiences did AOCs identify that impacted their experience at a PWI? RQ2: What lived experiences did AOCs identify that created a positive professional culture/community for them at a PWI? RQ3: What lived experiences did AOCs encounter that aided them in their career progression at a PWI? Data for the study was collected via face-to-face interviews with the approval of 16 AOC faculty. The study findings revealed that upper administration did not understand racism until the death of George Floyd (May 25, 2020) and Breonna Taylor (March 13, 2020), which aroused widespread consciousness across America. [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.]