It was the long awaited first meeting of the PhD student cohort. Scanning the room, everyone looked to be polite, astute, and appropriately dressed. Then came self-introductions. One worked as a financial leader, while another was a Chief level executive with years of experience, then came the man who worked full-time and held an adjunct position in academia. One of very few African Americans in the room, Latrice sat in awe and disbelief. She was a new community college faculty with only 3 years' experience as a registered nurse. She wondered how on earth she was selected to be in that room, whether she truly belonged in this cohort, and finally, did she have the wherewithal to produce what the degree required.

At the basic core of humanism, the internal dialogue and feelings of inadequacy described are common when facing the challenge of newness and the unknown. Experiencing prolonged feelings of inadequacy, however, is not normal. The phrase Imposter Syndrome, or any unsubstantiated belief that an academically credentialed, skilled, or high achieving intellectual lacks the qualifications and skillset for a record of accomplishments (Bravata et al., 2019) is likely the cause.

The academic environment is hierarchal in nature, in that professional status may be ranked from Instructor, to Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor. Then there are the tracks of tenure and non-tenure that often accompany these titles. Each track, rank, and other associated subcategory carries a set of competitive standards, requirements, and overall level of distinction with earning the credential. Titles alone, which may often be categorized as junior or senior faculty carry a certain connotation that one may be more advanced than the other; therefore, a type of professional mastery that the junior faculty would likely wish to aspire.

Imposter Syndrome may affect 70 % of the population at any given moment and for any given reason (Buckland, 2017). It can often be concealed while also manifesting itself in multiple forms. Imposter Syndrome as experienced by African American faculty in the academic climate will likely produce a profound effect on the individual it haunts, and that alone identifies Imposter Syndrome as a topic relevant for further exploration. The purpose and aim of this article are to explore Imposter Syndrome in academia, providing a specific lens on the African American population. The African American population discussed in this article excludes the more generalized diaspora of Americans that present as black, whether self-identified or not, and heavily focuses on experiences from the viewpoint of the female perspective for two simple reasons. One, the author is African American and resonates most closely with this specific population of interest. Two, the plight and historical journeys experienced by the African American female in terms of chattel slavery, playing into the primary psyche of individuals who experience inadequacy and feelings of Impostorism are key, and may play out differently if other populations were to be included. This article will discuss Imposter Syndrome amongst African Americans in academic organizations, identify and explain signs and accompanying feelings that may be experienced, and provide specific ideas that may be implemented to overcome the Imposter Syndrome experience from both the individual and organizational perspectives.