In this article, the author asks: Why, after years of discussion about access and diversity, are there still so few women and faculty of color in American colleges and universities?" African American women are only one demographic that has been excluded or marginalized in academia, but they offer an intriguing entry point into the discussion of faculty diversity. In this article, the author provides a brief historical overview of African American and women faculty in the United States, and examines tenure requirements with respect to women and faculty of color. Using Florida as an example of the continued lack of gender and racial diversity, she will also look at student access to higher education, because the students of today become the faculty of tomorrow.