Of the total population of 29 black female superintendents in the United States, 22 participated in this study. Interviews included highly structured and semistructured questions concerning the career and success patterns, circumstances that affected their present status, and the future role of black women as chief administrators of public school districts. The typical black woman superintendent is 46 years of age or older, married, and has two or more children. She began teaching in an elementary school and advanced to diverse supervisory positions by age 36. Doctorate degrees were held by 68 percent of the women. Overwhelmingly, the respondents feel that a combination of racism with sexism is the reason that black women hold so few superintendencies. However, the respondents are very satisfied in their choice of career and would choose the same one again. They predict that, as school populations shift in urban centers from majority to minority enrollments, more black women will enter administration and advance to the superintendency at an earlier age. Recommendations to improve black women's career opportunities are listed and 14 references are appended. (MLF)