This presentation will provide a valuable perspective on work in higher education—that of a Black woman in leadership roles. The experiences of Black women in educational leadership differ greatly from those of White women and other women of color. Yet, research about the challenges they face, although increasing, is still minimal. It is vital that their lived experiences and voices be heard in order to dismantle the strongholds of racial microaggression, racial battle fatigue, and gendered racial microaggression in academia. The use of the term ‘women and people of color’ distorts and detracts from the specific experiences of Black women, thereby, rendering them invisible. Black women’s experiences are different from those of (White) women, women of color, or people of color, which include men. The presentation will provide an analysis of leadership strategies and effective accomplice-ship that allowed for impactful change and reflect on the challenges that can emerge when leadership shifts and priorities change, especially in DEI work. Because their experiences are so different and are often missing or ignored in scholarship, it is imperative to conduct targeted research and conversations about Black female faculty and administrators to ascertain how their experiences shape their ability to thrive – or not.