Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling

It is now 2021 and the world has been in the throes of a global health pandemic for a year now. The world has watched continued violence in the United States through racially-tinged police brutality, the recent Capitol insurrection and rising incidents of domestic terrorism. Environmental issues spread and the economy continues to impact the quality of life for the most vulnerable citizens. As a homeschooling parent, how do you engage with your children around these topics?   This TEA TALK features Black Family Homeschool and Scholars (BFHES) founders Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman and Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith who discuss the ways that Black homeschooling families are engaging with their children around current events and discuss the role homeschooling has on building the critical thinking skills and civic literacy of children.  Learn more about BFHES at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org​  All TEA TALKS stream live in our Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars Resource Group on FB at http://www.facebook.com/groups/blackfamilyhomeschool

Gregory Wickham is an education writer and founder of NYC School Tech, a site where people can donate spare laptops and tablets to students in need. He is a 17 year-old homeschooling high school student who left his prestigious high school to engage in a self-directed learning practice. You can learn more about NYC School Tech at https://nycschooltech.com/  -------  The Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling podcast is hosted by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, founders of Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES). Guests include homeschooling parents, researchers focused on black families who homeschool and youth and adults who have been homeschooled. This podcast can be listened to on Spotify, Apple, Google Play and other podcast spaces. Learn more about BFHES at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman moderates a panel of homeschooling entrepreneurial mamas who share their journey of balancing homeschooling and maintaining a business to support their family. According to the US Census Bureau’s, most recent count of businesses, “the 2018 Annual Business Survey (ABS), found that Black or African Americans owned 124,004 employer businesses (firms with at least one paid employee) in 2017. This accounted for 2.2% of the 5.7 million employer businesses in the United States. Nineteen percent of all employer-based businesses were female-led—but 36.1% of all Black-owned businesses were headed by women. That's the highest share of businesses within any racial or ethnic group.” (Excerpt from https://usafacts.org/articles/black-women-business-month/) Panelists include fine artist Zsudayka Terrell, influencer Ella Cole, homeschool consultant Natalie Minor Mack, author NaConda Frank and social entrepreneur Olu Butterfly Woods. Learn more about Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschool.org

Have you had to contend with family members who did not agree with your choice to homeschool? Are you battling your own contradictory ideas about education while trying to curate your child's learning experience as a homeschooling parent? Are you filled with fear sometimes that you are on the wrong track? This panel discusses how it is possible to homeschool without fear that you will mess up your children. Panelists include Kyna Clemons is CEO & Founder of Ujima Children of the Sun Educational Services, Maleka Diggs, an unschooling advocate, community organizer, and trainer that centers equity and inclusion with a focus on BIPOC communities; Jade Weatherington of TeacherJade.com; Nicole Kennedy Green of GreenHouse Learning Online; and Dr. Meca Williams-Johnson, professor of Educational Research in the College of Education Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia.  Watch the show on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Qo1lDyVTk&t=812s and subscribe to our channel. Learn more about Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Black families are turning to homeschooling in droves due to the COVID-19 global pandemic leading to closures of school classrooms and a pivot to virtual learning en masse. The switch can become overwhelming. This panel of veteran homeschooling parents offers insights in how finding balance is possible and key to building your best life as a homeschooling parent. Panelists include Dannielle Joy Davis, PhD, Queen Taese, Cheryl R. Carter, and Dr. Paris “AJ” Adkins-Jackson. BFHES TEA TALKS are brought to you monthly in our Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Resource Group on Facebook. They are hosted by the founders of BFHES, Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, on alternating months. Learn more about the hosts and BFHES at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Panelists include: Joyelle Naomi, Colie Aziza, Phyllis Smith Asinyanbi, and Dr. Brandi Hinnant-Crawford.  Read their bios at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) present the midday TEA TALK series every month in the Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars Resource Group on Facebook. Learn more at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

16 year-old Khari D. talks with Dr. Ali-Coleman about her experiences in a public school and why she asked her mother to return to homeschooling for high school. This interview is a bonus talk from the 2020 BFHES Inaugural Virtual Teach-In. Learn more at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschooling.org

Samori Camara, PhD is a 38 year-old baba, Afrikan warrior scholar, educator, historian, and educational consultant who recently spent extensive time in Ghana.  Samori’s experience along with his constant study and reflection makes him a sought after thought-leader in the realm of Afrikan-centered education.  Camara established Kamali Academy in 2009 and it continues to serve the community by providing curriculum, courses, workbooks, and resources that help parents across the global educate their children for liberation. Learn more at https://www.kamaliacademy.com/ ----------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive.  Learn more at BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Olu Butterfly Woods is an award-winning working performance artist, community organizer, writer and homeschooling mother of four children. Based in Baltimore, MD, her innovative creative work has left an indelible mark on the cultural arts history of the city. For over two decades she has devoted time and energy to working with youth and families in multi-disciplinary ways. She is founder of the Free-Up Baltimore Homeschool Cooperative for Afrikan-Centered Families.  --------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture.

Kyna Clemons is a textile quilt artist, activist, and home-school educator in the Washington DC metropolitan area, founder of Ujima Children of the Sun Homeschool Collective. A graduate of Howard University, Ms. Clemons draws inspiration for her quilts from the work and life of Harriet Powers, an enslaved African-American folk artist and quilt maker. Ms.Clemons and her husband, George Clemons, are proud parents of seven children, whom they have home-educated together for over fifteen years.  Learn more about her work at:https://www.facebook.com/Ujimachildre... ---------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive.  Learn more about Black Family Home Educators & Scholars Teach-In at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschool.org

Tichaona Chinyelu is a writer, mother and author of three books of poetry: In the Whirlwind, Still Living on My Feet and Contraband Marriage. She lives, writes and raises her son in Cambridge, MA. Her writings can be found at SillLivingOnMyFeet.com  -------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture.  Learn more at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschooling.org

Our inaugural virutal teach-in took place July 20-24, 2020 and included over 25 talks featuring homeschooling parents, researchers and educators, almost 200 registrants from across the country and week filled with community-building, resource-sharing and engagement. Learn more about us at http://www.blackhomeschoolingfamily.org ---------   Kizzy Gray brilliantly affirms any distinction given. A Virginia native, Kizzy is the president and lead graphic/web designer of Kizzoe Designs and mother of five homeschooled children.  In addition, she is a wife of 23 years to a military veteran. Gracious and diplomatic, Kizzy wears many hats as a Certified Life Coach, entrepreneur, author, teacher, public speaker and impassioned workshop facilitator.  Kizzy has devoted over 25 years of service to her community by steadfastly volunteering in church, and holding numerous community outreach roles over the years.  Overall, Kizzy hopes to empower women as a life coach by encouraging them to awaken their inner greatness and radically transform their lives, business and motherhood with purpose.

Phyllis Smith Asinyanbi is an independent educator, writer, thinker, lifelong student, and global citizen. Phyllis has a unique perspective on home education as her son is gifted and on the autism spectrum, also known as 2e (twice-exceptional).  She is also the former moderator of African American Single Parent Homeschoolers (AASPH), an excellent Facebook group. A veteran homeschooler who has been homeschooling her son since he was in first grade, she is overjoyed that he is now a senior and will soon be attending college. Phyllis also has a bachelor’s degree in education, with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She now teaches students English online. If anyone has questions, please contact her via email (plsmitha@gmail.com) or Facebook Messenger (Name: Phyllis Smith Asinyanbi).  ---------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture.  Learn more at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschooling.org

Maleka Diggs is an unschooling advocate, community organizer, and trainer that centers equity and inclusion with a focus on BIPOC communities who has been serving families, schools and alternative learning spaces through her organization, Eclectic Learning Network. She is also co-founder of Philly Children’s Movement, a multi-racial and multi-generational collective of families talking, playing, and rising up for racial justice! Her work explores the intersections of race and education, its impact on Black and Brown peoples and those within under-represented communities while exploring ways to disrupt the cycle of institutionalized education through unschooling and self-directed learning approaches. You can learn more about her work at the following links:    Website: http://www.eclecticlearningnetwork.com |  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/eclecticlearn... |  Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/eclecticlear... |  Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/eclecticlearin... (for those who are interested in supporting ELN year-round as a monthly sustainer)  ----------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture. Learn more at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org

Tahira Goldson is founder of Mason-Inspired Bowie is located in Bowie, Maryland. Her homeschool co-op follows the Charlotte-Mason method utilizing rich literature (living-books) and nature/outdoor study.  They are a multi-subject tutorial with 2-day, 3-day and 5-day options for students ages 5 through 12. Tahira shares what she believes is the truth that should be known about Black families that are homeschooling. To find out more, visit  https://masoninspiredbowie.wixsite.co...    ------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive.  Learn more about Black Family Home Educators & Scholars at http://www.BlackFamilyHomeschool.org

Queen Taese is a Black homeschool & education visionary who has been noted for her works of being an award-winning educator and successful homeschool mother for 20+ years. She has taught and learned from thousands of children, as well as designed Afrikan-centered curriculums, critical educational tools, resources, children’s events, and conferences globally. She is founder of the Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & Educational Institute, which is an educational empire forging a new reality for the wholistic cultivation of children throughout the Afrikan diaspora. Its trifold mission consists of the cultural development of Black children as scholars, leaders, passionpreneurs, and innovators that serve the Black community; empowerment of the Black family, and the creation and maintenance of the intergenerational wealth that is needed to shape a future full of prosperity, power, and legacy. Learn more at https://queentaese.com/ ------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture.  Learn more at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschooling.org

LM Preston is an author of Homeschooling and Working While Shaping Amazing Learners (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RQ3MZKV/) , an engineer, former college professor, and working mother who's been married for over twenty-five years. She has homeschooled 3 of her 4 children from elementary school and beyond while she and her husband worked outside their home. Three of her kids graduated with degrees by the age of 17 years old. In addition, she is a published author and coach in doing 'College The Radical Way'.   Her blog: http://homeschoolandwork.blogspot.com/ details her homeschooling while working journey. Her coaching services and courses are available on her website http://www.EmpoweredSteps.com.   ---------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is a research and education group committed to documenting the lived experiences of Black homeschooling families. BFHES was founded by Dr. Cheryl Fields- Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith and Dr. Ali-Coleman are co-editors of the forthcoming book Homeschooling Black Children in the United States: An examination of homeschooling in practice, theory and popular culture. Learn more about us at http://www.blackfamilyhomeschooling.org

Zsudayka Nzingha Terrell is a renowned fine artist and mother of three children who she and her husband unschool in Washington, D.C. Zsudayka is an arts activist born and raised in Aurora, CO. Nzinga began her career as an artist in Denver, CO. She painted abstract and realism portraits and ran an art gallery. She also created art programming for nonprofits and private and charter schools and ran a Black Arts Festival. She made a name for herself as a teenager on the spoken word poetry scene and travelled the country performing her written work with her art on the cover. While traveling, Nzinga felt more and more inspired to create images, particularly the missing story of the black woman. “I felt that when I was telling a story in a poem, people had to have read what I read, seen what I’ve seen to sometimes get the deeper purpose of my work. When I paint my story, a person can look at it and come to their own conclusions in their own time. I can really hit them hard but not have to bear the responsibility of having TOLD them.” After moving to Washington D.C., she started her program From the Corner to the Gallery in 2014, fundraising to take 7 kids under her wing and help them learn to transition their hustle into a legal arts based business. Visit her website at https://www.terrellartsdc.com/  --------------------  Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive.  Learn more about Black Family Home Educators & Scholars Teach-In at: http://www.blackfamilyhomeschool.org

Dr. Aaliyah Baker is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education and Leadership at Cardinal Stritch University. Dr. Baker began her career in education as a classroom teacher with the Milwaukee Public Schools. She earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (University of Wisconsin – Madison) with an emphasis in Multicultural Education. Her research interests include critical race theory, multicultural education, sociocultural theories of learning, and the role of race, class and gender in educational achievement and experiences in schools. She has conducted research within the scope of education, society, culture and learning in Morocco and South Africa as a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant recipient. Her scholarship explores and informs areas such as culturally relevant pedagogy, student and family centered education practices, social and cultural issues surrounding the influence of race on schooling experiences and theoretical perspectives that value human experience, identity and cultural awareness.  Dr. Baker teaching, service, and scholarship focus on the importance of creating equitable educational experiences for all students. Dr. Baker maintains strong community and school partnerships by developing and supporting curriculum, assessment, and instruction. She hopes to contribute to creating a caring community by building critical engagement that address societal issues. Dr. Baker facilitates scholarly discussions about diversity, inclusion and social justice to support students’ academic, personal and professional development. Dr. Baker has disseminated research at a wide number of state, national, and international conferences and forums. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses that focus on sociocultural theories of learning, instructional models of language and literacy development, and qualitative inquiry.   Her dissertatation study was titled, BLACK FAMILIES‘ PEDAGOGIES: PEDAGOGICAL PHILOSOPHIES AND PRACTICES  SURROUNDING BLACK PARENTS‘ DECISIONS TO HOMESCHOOL   ----- Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive.  Learn more about Black Family Home Educators & Scholars Teach-In at: http://www.blackfamilyhomeschool.org

Black families have been homeschooling children long before COVID-19. However, the current global pandemic has brought homeschooling to the forefront of many conversations regarding the education of Black children. While homeschooling has often been approached from the perspective of white families who homeschool and several scholars who have attempted to set the tone for homeschooling in the U.S, the perspectives of Black homeschooling families and the researchers who center them in their research largely go ignored. This interview is from the 2020 Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Virtual Teach-In and features a conversation with researcher and homeschooling mother, Dr. Dannielle Joy Davis.  Dr. Dannielle Joy Davis is a tenured Associate Professor of Higher Education at Saint Louis University. She is the first known African American woman (descended from skilled captive Mende, Temne, and Fula people in the United States) to earn tenure in the history of the institution’s School of Education. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she has studied and conducted research in Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium. Her interdisciplinary research examines the experiences of marginalized groups in educational settings, the role of organizational policy and practice in the promotion or inhibition of egalitarian academic and occupational outcomes, and spirituality in the workplace and other learning environments.   Dr. Davis was homeschooled as a child and is currently homeschooling her son. In this video, she shares what the truth is about Black homeschooling families. View the interview at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvqbpolm95Y&t=143s About BFHES:   Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) Network was created by Dr. Cheryl Fields-Smith and Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Dr. Fields-Smith is the most prolific scholar of research focused on Black homeschooling families. Dr. Ali-Coleman is a homeschooling parent, community organizer and scholar who recently completed research on African-American dual-enrolled homeschooled students. Both wanted to create the teach-in to bring together practitioners and researchers to share ideas and identify the ways Black homeschooling families thrive. The teach-in was held on Facebook in a private group for registrants. Over the week, participants were given a workbook and other resources to help navigate throughout the event. These talks were shared over the course of the week along with Facebook live talks with the hosts and six live break-out sessions on the last day.  To learn more, visit http://www.blackfamilyhomeschool.org.

Our inaugural virutal teach-in included over 25 talks featuring homeschooling parents, researchers and educators, almost 200 registrants from across the country and week filled with community-building, resource-sharing and engagement.  Learn more about us at http://BlackFamilyHomeschooling.org -------  A homeschooling mom and leader, LaNissir has a passion to serve the home-educating community. She provides social, spiritual, academic, and supervisory support for families in local groups and encourages and equips homeschool graduates to transition into colleges, careers, and vocational schools.  As an HSLDA High School Consultant, LaNissir loves speaking to parents to encourage and support their homeschooling with empathetic, engaging, and practical wisdom. She says, “The joy of helping a family feel confident that they can homeschool is priceless.”  She earned her BS in journalism from the University of Maryland College Park, is Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® certified, and is pursuing a master’s degree in biblical studies.  LaNissir James is wife to Lorenzo, who also serves the homeschooling community through sports programs, photography services, and photography classes. She is the mother of seven beautiful homeschooled children (five girls and two boys) with ages ranging from toddler to young adult. Her hobbies include reading, traveling, photography, and kayaking.