The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the persistence strategies of executive African American female administrators in higher education in the pre- and post-COVID-19 landscape. Further, the study provides suggestions for how academies of leadership may provide strategic supports to address the barriers confronted by African American females in higher education. Ten senior administrators currently employed at institutions of higher learning were interviewed virtually. Participants provided commentary on their current and future career goals, and their either real or perceived supports and barriers in their professional aspirations. Participant responses ranged from little to no support or barrier in their career ascension, to persistent support from former and current supervisors. Additionally, participants shared their belief as to how COVID-19 impacted their personal lives and higher education in general, and the infrastructure needed to support African American female personnel moving forward. Transcripts were manually coded and organized to identify themes and sub-themes. The findings of this study provide institutional practice recommendations for how the challenges confronting African American female administrators may be addressed through leadership academies to minimize cultural and sexual biases, as well as future research specific to this population. [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.]