There has been a continuous increase in higher education enrollment of first-generation college students. This is a positive pattern, but what is concerning, is the plethora of research regarding obstacles that these students encounter, including college acceptance and degree completion (Roksa et al., 2018; Ishitani, 2006). While 30% of doctoral candidates are first-generation students, there is a void in the literature of their voices regarding their doctoral experiences (Roksa et al., 2018). First-generation doctoral students face even more daunting challenges than first-generation undergraduate students, such as lengthy timeline to graduation, financial hardships, negative experiences in academia, lack of preparedness, and lack of access to funding opportunities (Davis, 2012). As a result, these students often drop classes, leave college, and do not persist to degree attainment. The statistics are even lower for African American students who have many external and opposing demands. While there is research that focus on African American women doctoral experiences (Baumgartner & Johnson-Bailey, 2010), a deficit exists in studies that investigate factors that impact their persistence, retention, and degree completion. This qualitative study will describe the lived experiences of first-generation African American women doctoral graduates and their perceptions about how personal and campus factors influenced their persistence and degree completion. The research design will capture the personal experiences of the participants within the study and help to answer the research questions: How did first-generation African American women who graduated from a doctoral program view themselves as doctoral students? How did the institutional practices in which they participated define their in-school and out-of-school identities? How do first-generation African American women doctoral graduates describe their ability to navigate and combat intersecting oppressions to persist in their environment? How do African American women's intersecting identities, particularly their gender and race, impact their academic experiences and what was their perception of this impact? How do first-generation African American doctoral graduates describe the obstacles and supports they received while pursuing their degree, and what was their perception of those experiences? The sample size will consist of first-generation African American women graduates. The data collection methods that will be utilized in this study will be semi-structured interviews. The interview questions will be open-ended, and data will be analyzed to reveal emerging themes. The study will conclude with the researcher's summary and discussion of the findings, conclusions, implications of the study, and recommendations for further research based on the findings of this study. This study will contribute strategies that can positively impact the success of first-generation African American women graduate students, under-prepared college students, especially low income, and minority groups. [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.]