"Sense of belonging (SOB)" is defined as "the extent to which students feel personally accepted, respected, and included by others in the [university] environment" (Goodenow, 1993, p. 80) and has been shown to be a critical facet in maximizing collegiate student learning, engagement and motivation (Booker, 2006). Research has shown that many Black American undergraduate students struggle with developing a strong "SOB" and connectedness, especially when enrolled in a predominantly White institution (PWI) in the United States (Kniess, Havice, & Cawthon, 2015; Sinanan, 2012). The current study employs a phenomenological qualitative research methodology to explore: (1) perceptions of belonging among Black college students attending a selective PWI and (2) to critically examine how SNS-use intersects with SOB for those same students. The sample included 28 undergraduate students (aged 18-22; 9 males, 19 females) who all identified as Black/African American. Research efforts yielded a revised version of Goodenow's SOB definition, which was constructed by Black college students. Additionally, results demonstrated: (1) connecting with Black students (a major theme) is essential to Black students feeling a sense of belonging at PWIs and consequently, thematic analysis highlighted: (1) educational spaces (i.e., in the classroom, within their major), (2) predominantly White Greek/Student organizations, and (3) on-campus physical locations (i.e., living quarters and walking around campus) are areas where Black students often feel "they do not belong." Importantly, co-occurring with those spaces were themes of "Explicit Racist" and "Micro-aggressive Experiences," "Culture Shock," and the "Only-One Phenomenon" (the experience of being the only person of color). Regarding the intersection of SNS-use and SOB, results show that SNS is adaptive and maladaptive to Black students' SOB, and that university's social media presence, is the primary pathway accessed by students to influence their sense of belonging. [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.]