The strong Black woman schema is an archetype in which unrealistic expectations of strength and resilience are placed on Black women by their families and society (Johnson et al., 2022). Two consequences of the trope are the silencing of emotions by Black women and the avoidance of Black women to seek mental health treatment when under duress (Johnson et al., 2022). These same unrealistic expectations of strength and toughness as well as evasion of help seeking behaviors continue when attending institutions of higher education. Hence there is a need for colleges and universities to provide the support Black women need to manage psychological distress to persist to degree attainment. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the mental health outcomes of Black alumnae of predominantly white institutions (PWI) in the Northeast. Through this study, the researcher sought to understand how the internalization of stereotypes derived from the strong Black woman schema affects the mental health of these Black women, as they navigate their way through institutions of higher education. The theory of intersectionality which speaks to how the intersection of Black women's race and sex affect their lived experiences (Cresnhaw, 1989) served as the theoretical framework for this study to examine the following research questions: (a) What impact did the strong Black woman schema have on Black alumnae from colleges in the Northeast? and (b) How did these Black alumnae effectuate the advantages and disadvantages derived from the strong Black woman schema? Using a qualitative descriptive research design Creswell and Poth (2018) semi-structured interviews (n = 13) were conducted with participants who (a) were given an assignment of female at birth, (b) identified as Black, (c) earned an undergraduate degree in the Northeast region of the United States, (d) graduated in the past 5 years, (e) were between the ages of 18-25 when they graduated, and (f) attended a PWI. A data analysis spiral, consisting of five steps, was used to analyze and represent the data (Creswell & Poth 2018). Lastly, document analysis was conducted of participants' completion of a post reflective questionnaire. Five key findings emerged from participant interviews: (a) being a strong Black woman is generational, (b) stereotypical images of Black women saturate the media, (c) perception is based on one's racial identity, (d) there is continued cultural mistrust toward seeking professional help, and (e) it is vital to have an emotional support system. Institutions seeking to provide support and assist Black female undergraduate students in managing their emotions while attending their institutions can abstract recommendations from this study to execute on their campuses. [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://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]