This paper reports on part of a larger research study on the reasons for the shortage of minority students entering colleges of education and the teaching profession. Interviews were conducted with 140 teachers of color in three urban school districts: Cincinnati (Ohio), Seattle (Washington), and Long Beach (California). The focus of this part of the research was the personal motivations of the informants for selecting teaching as a career. Recurring themes emerged from the responses that need to be explored and better understood if the profession hopes to attract and retain teachers of color in the future. Major themes include influence of other people, involvement with youth, and being called to the profession. Most respondents claim to have gone into teaching due to someone else's influence: their family, a friend, or a teacher. Additional reasons given include: making a difference, teaching as a calling, love of children, previous involvement with youth, love of subject matter, vacation benefits, and love of teaching. Teaching was a second career choice for more than half the respondents. Some became teachers after trying another career while others were discouraged or unable to pursue other careers due to poverty, sexism, racism, or lack of adequate preparation. Factors such as vocational mission, community service, and personal commitment to communities of color attract people of color to the teaching profession, retain them in the field, and offset disincentives or the lack of external incentives. (Contains 11 references.) (ND)