Finding the Rhythm of Freedom: Black Homeschooling Mothers Navigating Education Without Schools

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Asset Pedagogies in Black Education

Abstract

This paper investigates the beliefs, decisions, and practices of Black homeschoolers, a growing but understudied population of families in the U.S. Participants in this qualitative study are homeschoolers in the Washington, DC metro area. Drawing from motherwork (Hill-Collins, 1994) and racial socialization theory (Lesane-Brown et al., 2005), my work centers the role of Black homeschooling mothers in the survival and freedom of Black children. How can their untold stories illuminate practices of liberation and educational freedom? My research aims to advance our understanding of this population, amplify their contextualized experiences, and increase the scholarly discussion of educational alternatives for Black students in the U.S.

Author

• Courtney A Douglass, University of Maryland - College Park