The First and Only is Lonely

Abstract In the 21st century, Black women continue to achieve “first” status in various institutions and organizations. For example, Loretta Lynch (Attorney General, 2015), Kamala Harris (United States Vice President, 2020), Ketanji Brown (United States Supreme Court, 2022), and Dr. Claudine Gay (Harvard University President, 2023) finally broke the proverbial concrete ceiling; however, overlooked is the misogynoir behind their success. This chapter focuses on the tenure-track experience of Dr. Tia Strong, the first and only Black woman on the tenure track in her department. Recounting experiences via a case study using six years of artifacts, this chapter chronicles Dr. Strong’s excruciating process of earning tenure employing Critical Race Theory’s permanence of racism and the intersectionality theory. Joining the national choir of Black women faculty enduring the tenure process, Dr. Strong may be the first, only, and last Black woman to work in her department.