"We Don't Surrender Our Children to the Plantation": Critical Discourse Analysis of Black Unschooling Perspectives

• In Event: Critical Consciousness Perspectives on Race and Racism

Abstract

Black unschooling continues the historical legacy of Black liberation, resistance, self-reliance, and self-determination that has marked every generation of African-Americans living in the U.S. This form of self-directed learning is increasing among families who are decolonizing their education and parenting practices. This study examines Black unschooling perspectives within the broader conversation on Black liberation. Specifically, I use Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to analyze episodes from the Fare of the Free Child audio podcast. The analysis unpacks Black unschoolers’ discourses of freedom, race, and power. As more Black families opt out of traditional schooling amidst anti-Black racism and a global pandemic, this work enhances our understanding of fugitivity, school refusal, and alternative education options largely unexamined in academic literature.

Author

• Courtney A Douglass, University of Maryland