Learning and Liberation: Black Home Education as a Social Movement

• In Event: Looking Back and Moving Forward: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Today’s Black Home Education Movement

Abstract

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black home educated students grew nearly five times, increasing from 3.1% in the spring of 2020 to 16% in the fall of 2020 (Anderson, 2022; Fields-Smith, 2021; US Census Bureau, 2021). Over the past several decades, the number of Black home-educated students has grown from 110,000 in 2005 to 805,000 in 2021 (Fields-Smith, 2021; US Census Bureau, 2021). However, these data do not reveal the multifaceted motivations behind Black families’ decisions to home educate, nor do the data show the tradition of agency and self-reliance among Black families and their historical efforts to take ownership of their education. This paper seeks to chart the often-overlooked historical context of Black home education in America and frames it as a social movement rooted in liberation (Habermas, 1981). We analyze archival records from the Library of Congress’ Born in Slavery collection and synthesize seminal literature in the field to showcase how Black Americans have utilized education, particularly literacy, as a tool for resistance and control. Employing a thematic narrative analysis, we provide a comprehensive understanding of the developmental aspects of Black home education in America. Our findings reveal a cultural tradition of Black families’ self-determination, resistance, and agency over their children’s education.

Authors

• Ashley Gwathney, Rutgers University - Newark

• Charity Anderson