Homeschooling Black Children in the U.S.

Watch Conversation HERE

About the book:

In 2021, the United States Census Bureau reported that in 2020, during the rise of the global health pandemic COVID-19, homeschooling among Black families increased five-fold. However, Black families had begun choosing to homeschool even before COVID-19 led to school closures and disrupted traditional school spaces. Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture offers an insightful look at the growing practice of homeschooling by Black families through this timely collection of articles by education practitioners, researchers, homeschooling parents and homeschooled children.

Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture honestly presents how systemic racism and other factors influence the decision of Black families to homeschool. In addition, the book chapters illustrate in different ways how self-determination manifests within the homeschooling practice. Researchers Khadijah Ali-Coleman and Cheryl Fields-Smith have edited a compilation of work that explores the varied experiences of parents homeschooling Black children before, during and after COVID-19. From veteran homeschooling parents sharing their practice to researchers reporting their data collected pre-COVID, this anthology of work presents an overview that gives substantive insight into what the practice of homeschooling looks like for many Black families in the United States.

About the panelists:

Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman is educator, researcher, literary artist, and founding director of Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC (BFHES), based in Maryland. BFHES supports over 3000 homeschooling parents from across the country virtually through virtual events and an active Facebook group. She is co-editor of the book, Homeschooling Black Children in the U.S. (2022) and a former homeschooling mother. She is the 2023-2026 Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, MD and author of the recent poetry collection, The Summoning of Black Joy (2023).

Monica Utsey is co-founder of Sankofa Homeschool Collective and a veteran homeschooling mother. For almost 20 years, Sankofa has supported more than 1,000 homeschooling families of color in the Washington Metropolitan area and globally.

Dr. Sherri Mehta is a Maryland-based researcher, presenter, homeschooling mom, and wife with over twenty years of English teaching experience .  She holds both a Ph.D. and an M.A. in English Literature and a B.A. in Mass Media Arts. She homeschools her own children and other children through Outschool.com.

Tracie Yorke (she/her/ella) is a researcher, technologist, educator, dancer/choreographer and proud homeschooling mom. She is a passionate advocate for inclusive educational models, STEAM education, and immersive learning technologies. With more than15 years of experience in the independent and nonprofit sectors, she regularly consults with organizations in developing effective anti-racist initiatives, instructional design, and emerging technologies. Tracie earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Amherst College and a master’s degree in educational technology from Carnegie Mellon University. She studied Spanish Language and Culture Studies at Pontificia Universidad Madre y Maestra Católica in the Dominican Republic.