Meet Dr. Ali-Coleman in Washington DC in August
Meet Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman-- education researcher and former homeschooling mother who homeschooled her daughter off and on for 13 years while living in Prince George's County, Maryland. She is founding director of Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES), LLC and the 2023-2026 Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, MD and will be at Sankofa Video Books & Cafe for an author talk in August. She released her poetry chapbook, THE SUMMONING OF BLACK JOY during this past Juneteenth weekend and co-edited the book HOMESCHOOLING BLACK CHILDREN IN THE US that was released in 2022. Click link above for tickets.
Why Did Black Families Homeschool in 2022?
396 respondents in a Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, LLC
poll indicated in December 2022 the reasons they decided to homeschool in 2022.
Participants in the survey identified as parents of Black children in grades P-12.
9.6% indicated they started homeschooling because their child’s school was not providing
the learning experience they wanted their child to have.
62% indicated that they were homeschooling before 2022 and it had been an effective learning practice for their child.
16% said that they started homeschooling in 2022 because traditional school (public, private, charter) was not safe for their child.
4% said that they began homeschooling in 2022 because they finally had the time to begin
1% said that they had been on hiatus from homeschooling and had begun again in 2022
ARE YOU STARTING YOUR HOMESCHOOLING JOURNEY THIS YEAR?
What We Do
Research on Black Homeschooling
BFHES was started by two Black homeschool researchers conferring during the planning for our book project on Black homeschooling. Our mission is to provide ongoing community engagement regarding Black homeschooling through (1) the publication of scholarly and trade work on the topic, and (2) the production of community events targeting black homeschool familites and entrepreneurs engaged in the practice of black homeschooling.
We invite Black researchers on the topic of Black homeschooling to submit manuscripts on their research for publication. Learn more here.
Virtual Homeschooling Community
BFHES presents an annual Virtual Teach-In and other virtual events where we feature dozens of homeschool practitioners, researchers and educational consultants sharing valuable guidance on how to develop a fruitful homeschooling family practice.In addition, we maintain a burgeoning community of homeschool educators via Facebook. As of this writing, the group has surpassed 3400 members since its start in July 2020. We also have a growing archive of content on our YouTube channel and regularly engage through online spaces such as Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
WE ARE NOT A HOMESCHOOL CO-OP.
We do not offer homeschooling courses for children.
We offer training, events and publication opportunities for homeschooling parents and education researchers.
Thank You for Attending Our 3rd Annual BFHES Virtual Teach-In!
SPONSORS
A Black Education Network (ABEN)
iReadify
So Our Youth Aspire
Testimonials About the BFHES Virtual Teach-In
"Loved the music playlist, I felt such a sense of community and support that's so valuable, no judgement and people seemed to attend all of the workshops etc. Loved the coffee talks that we could view at any time."
2022 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Pennsylvania
"Do not change a thing. This year was fantastic!"
2022 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Wisconsin
"The sense of community and being in a safe space. I appreciate the enthusiasm and joy Dr. Khadijah displayed when speaking with guests and how encouraging she was for all of us."
2022 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Georgia
"All of it was good and helpful. I liked the variety of sessions."
2022 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from West Virginia
"I enjoyed the chat and connecting with other black homeschoolers. I gained an online teaching job and some podcast contacts from these connections. I also enjoy seeing what others are doing within the black homeschool community."
2021 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Texas
"...I am recommending the teach-in to others because more Black families are interested. Some feel forced to homeschool under COVID-19 and inconsistent school policies. BFHES showcases homeschooling, as a natural part of family values and growth."
2021 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Washington, D.C.
"I loved the music playlist - it was amazing. I like the group chat categories, and I enjoyed all the coffee talk presentations!"
2021 BFHES Virtual Teach-In Participant
Homeschooling parent from Wisconsin
HOMESCHOOLING BLACK CHILDREN IN US: Theory, Practice & Popular Culture
In 2020, Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman had just finished defending her doctoral dissertation on dual enrolled African American homeschooled students and their perceptions of preparedness for community college. The COVID-19 global pandemic and quarantine had just gone into effect. She was offered an opportunity to publish her dissertation into a book. She opted to edit an anthology of voices on Black homeschooling instead. During her own research study, she had seen the lack of Black voices in the research on Black homeschooling families. As a homeschooling mother and researcher, she wanted to expand the research literature and offer an opportunity for other homeschooling parents and researchers to share their experiences and research. And, that is what this book is.
Add it to your library today!
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.
Chapters:
1. From Our Ancestors to Today: The Significance of Contemporary Black Homeschooling in the U.S., Cheryl Fields-Smith.
2. Journey of a Black Homeschooled, Homeschooling, Home Education Scholar: An Autoethnography, Dannielle Joy Davis.
3. Creating A Homeschool as Homeplace: Vision and Praxis, Brandi Nicole Hinnant-Crawford.
4. Self-Efficacy Insights From a Public-School Educator Turned Home Educator, Meca Williams-Johnson.
5. Neurosequential Learning Strategies and the Impact of Societal Racism, Adina Gardner.
6. Sandra’s Story: A Generational Commitment to College and Career Readiness Through Homeschool Education, Aaliyah Baker.
7. Homeschooling: A Prayerful Act of Protest, Cheryl R. Carter.
8. The Freedom to Homeschool: Community as Classroom, Kathaleena Edward Monds.
9. “I Might Be a Maroon”: Homeschooling as Educational Liberation, Joy Howard and Micah Howard.
10. Window Dressing Education: Barriers and Invitations, Maleka M. Diggs.
11. “Only One Thing Left to Do”: An Invitation to Educational Freedom, Lora Smothers.
12. Become A Star Finder: Assisting Black Parents With Empowering Children to Achieve Academic Success Through Homeschooling, Anita Gibson.
13. Adventures of the Accidental Homeschoolers, Andrea L. Dennis.
14. Black Excellence: Dual Enrolled African American Homeschooled Students, Khadijah Ali-Coleman.
Black Homeschooling is on the Rise!
A recent US Census Report indicated that Black homeschooling families have increased from 3-5% of homeschooling families before 2020 to 16% of homeschooling families during the first year of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Listen to our podcast as we discuss issues related to black families homeschooling, including the recent rise.
Recent BFHES Press:
'A form of resistance': More Black families are choosing to homeschool their children, CNN, March 2023
‘No more skewed history’: why Black families homeschooling grew fivefold, The Guardian, Feb 2023
The surprising Covid legacy for America’s homeschoolers, Financial Times, Jan 2023
Homeschooling on the rise since pandemic; could have lasting effects on public schools, WJLA-ABC, May 2022
The pandemic pushed more families to home-school. Many are sticking with it, The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 2022
Homeschooling with Dr. Ali-Coleman, BlackUSA.News Morning Show, Jan. 2022
Black families are finding empowerment in homeschooling. And it's not just amid COVID-19, USA Today, Sept. 2021
Post-COVID Restrictions, Why Are Many Black Parents Still Home-Schooling?, Slate Magazine, August 2021
Home schooling exploded among Black, Asian and Latino students. But it wasn’t just the pandemic., The Washington Post, July 2021
They Rage-Quit the School System—and They're Not Going Back, Wired, June 2021
'We feel safer': Black parents say remote learning gives kids reprieve from racism, The Today Show, May 2021
