Career and technical education (CTE) prepares disadvantaged students for employment or secondary education. The problem addressed by this study was that many African American high school students are not enrolling in CTE despite efforts to prioritize historically underserved students. A qualitative exploratory case study was used to address this problem. The purpose of this study was to explore why many African American high school students are not enrolling in CTE. A sample of 13 participants, consisting of teachers, counselors, and a principal from two high schools and a career center, participated in the study. The theoretical framework for this study was based on community cultural wealth theory. The two research questions that guided this study were: what prevents many African American high school students from enrolling in CTE, and how can teachers, counselors, and principals increase African American high school students' CTE enrollment? The findings included five themes related to the experiences of African American students in the educational system: environmental and social barriers affect African American high school students' CTE enrollment; CTE academic requirements lack equity; African American students are often detained, suspended, or expelled from learning settings; positive school culture; and the need for intercultural diversity training for school staff. Findings indicated that the education system in the United States is based on Eurocentric ideology, and the unconsciously biased behavior of school staff and other students could obstruct African American students' learning experiences and can cause psychological barriers leading to oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and depression. Recommendations for practice include addressing social and cultural barriers with empathy and understanding, reforming school discipline practices to reduce racial inequalities, and implementing racial identity education and cross-cultural diversity training for new and existing staff. [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://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]