Contemporary Black Homeschooling as Refuge, Self-Determination, and Liberation

• In Event: Independent Black Education Movements: Black Communities in Pursuit of Their Own Truth in Education Research

Abstract

Homeschooling among Black families increased from 3.3% to 16.1% between spring 2021 to fall 2021 (Author, 2021). Although schools have reopened following the COVID-19 pandemic, Black parents continue to choose home education above pre-pandemic rates (Reid, 2022). However, these reports ignore the fact that homeschooling had been slowly increasing among Black families for decades prior to the pandemic. This paper presents three major findings from 16 years of phenomenological research among 70 Black homeschool families in the U.S. First, Black parents’ homeschool practices provide a source for refuge, but in plain sight, for Black children. Second, Black parents’ motivations and home education practices demonstrate that today’s Black homeschool movement represents a continuation of the African American legacy of self-determination. Finally, Black parents’ homeschool motivations and practices align with facets of liberatory education. Given the diverse formats of home education, homeschooling is no longer an idiosyncratic practice. Homeschool students attend classes with other children (online and in-person). Studies have found that Black homeschooled students perform as well as, or better than, their traditionally-schooled counterparts of all ethnicities/races (e.g. Ray, 2015). This paper provides lessons learned by Black homeschool parents regarding ‘what works’ in the education of Black children, which has implications for public and private school settings.

Author

• Cheryl A. Fields-Smith, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author