This study explores specific examples of social pressures and performances Black women student affairs professionals have navigated, adapted, and challenged since the pandemic's beginning (2020) to the present era. While utilizing Black Feminist Performance Theory (BFPT) and radical Black subjectivity (hooks, 2015), this study centers on the narratives of 10 Black women in Midwest and Southern states who have worked in student affairs since 2019. These stories were used to reflect and emphasize the fears of many Black women who work within Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs). I argue that many Black institutional staff have been encouraged to appease and perform for white audiences due to fear of isolation, consequences, and the threat of survival, which impact their well-being and livelihood. Additionally, this study explored how Black women define and work towards liberation from white dominance and influence while also creating space to reflect and (re)imagine Black freedom. Consequently, to secure this potential freedom, the Black pained body (Hartman, 1997) is centered within this study as a means to bring awareness to what binds the Black spirit and the liberating process of finding the confidence to shed the inauthentic character that many Black women professionals are pressured to accept and engage in. [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.]