Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative research study was to obtain a description of the lived experiences of African American women as they journey to upper-level administrative positions within Division I (FBS) collegiate athletics. The aim of this study was to provide recommendations that would support African American women who aspire for senior-level leadership at Division I (FBS) institutions. A phenomenological research methodology was utilized to garner the essence of African American women’s experiences through in-depth interviews. Through the analysis of the data collected, the following themes emerged: strategy for upward mobility, external judgements impacting professional perceptions, and experientially shaped perspective. From these themes, several subthemes were also noted. Proposed recommendations were a person-focused professional development program and an institutional-level diversity training program. Practical implications of this research not only provide a proposed professional blueprint for African American women seeking comparable leadership positions, but also incite a deeper comprehension of the stereotypes and biases that African American women face within collegiate athletics. Implications for further research and leadership theory and practice were also reviewed.|Keywords: African American women, Division I, collegiate athletics administration, phenomenology