This phenomenological study examines the experiences of African American female academic leaders who blazed the trail in technical colleges in a southern state. The research approach was a qualitative phenomenological study implemented through guided interview questions using Seidman’s (2013) three-stage approach. Three-stage interviews and phenomenological data analysis were conducted with five African American female academic leaders. The results are presented in profiles in this study with each African American female academic leader sharing their stories and experiences of rising up into the ranks of leadership in technical colleges rooted in the South. Some of the themes that I found were related to (1) their personal and professional backgrounds, (2) their career experiences, and (3) the skills, attributes and strategies each believed to have been an asset in their careers.