This oral history study addressed the problem of under-representation of minority teachers through the voices and perspectives of five African American female paraprofessional teacher aides who entered the teaching profession through participation in the Career Opportunities Program in Erie, Pennsylvania from 1970 through 1974. Two theoretical perspectives were used to analyze the findings. Critical Race Theory's (CRT) notion of "storytelling" provided a lens to fill in the gaps in the literature on the Career Opportunities Program from the experiences of the participants themselves. Black feminism's notion of giving "voice" articulated how the presence of African American women helped to change the racial makeup of professionals in the schools. The findings of this oral history unearthed four themes: (1) the quest for education discussed by each of the participants as personal growth; (2) their characterization of education as a social good and their desire to be role models for the students; (3) the participants' experiences with master teachers who provided the opportunity to develop skills and gain knowledge to enter the teaching profession; and (4) their views on the discrimination they experienced in their assigned schools during the Career Opportunities Program (COP). This study is significant because it can provide insights about the effects of strategies to recruit African American teachers through educational partnerships between higher education institutions and local school districts. [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.]