African American students have been underrepresented in higher education since the 1960s. The study of this disparity has caused many researchers to consider the social and institutional correlating relationships that could contribute to the declining retention rates for African American students in higher education. The purpose of the grounded theory study was to develop a theory based on the discovery of the perception that African American students apply to communication messages received from the students' higher education institutions and social relationships. Communication theories and self-fulfilling prophecy theory guided the research development. Twenty African American students who attended Girard College, a college preparatory school in Philadelphia, PA, were selected to participate in the study. Two theoretical models emerged from the findings that explained the relationship between communication, empowerment, and legacies of behavior. The study findings suggested that communication exchanges between African American students and the students in-group was an underlying discovery associated with African American students' higher education retention and completion. [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/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]