Traditional and current parental involvement programs can be challenging, debilitating and disenfranchising for African American and Latino school-parents. This qualitative study explores the issue of parental involvement, engagement and empowerment for African American and Latino parents. It provides an overview of hegemonic underpinnings, discursive expectations and mainstream definitions surrounding this issue. Embedded in the study, is a description of parents who do not conform to nor meet "traditional expectations" of parental involvement. A discussion of how current literature characterizes these parents is provided. It notes that deficit based research (vis-á-vis assumptions and biases) privilege traditional orthodoxies and ideas regarding parental involvement. Through the lens of critical race theory, this study challenges traditional orthodoxies and debunks deficit perspective research, as it illuminates how African American and Latino parents are deeply committed and involved in their children's education. Central to this research are "snapshots" that capture how a group of involved African American and Latino parents are significantly engaged in their children's education in unscripted, unspoken and unperceivable ways. The research methodology and design is inquiry-based, consisting of interviews and thematic analysis. After analyzing collected data, four themes about African American and Latino parents emerged; 1) They are extremely concerned and highly involved in their children's schooling; 2) They face a myriad of obstacles, barriers and challenges; 3) They worry about the intersections of race, culture and power present in schooling; 4) Despite barriers, obstacles and intersections of race and power; these parents still remain involved and hopeful that their children will have promising opportunities and successful futures by obtaining an education and maintaining a strong sense of self and cultural identity. Drawing upon these discoveries, this study offers an alternative paradigm that can be used to identify and develop parent involvement. It specifies key elements like embracing cultural capital, increasing parental efficacy and removing barriers. It promotes the utility of moving towards using a "parent-centric" approach and model centered-around developing and sustaining parent involvement, especially for parents of color. Ultimately, this study reveals and recommends that new mechanisms are needed for the basis of re-thinking, re-defining and re-framing parental involvement programs. [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.]