BFHES 2025 Virtual Teach-In Speakers
Meet the distinguished speakers sharing their journey during this year's virtual teach-in.
Cheryl Carter is a seasoned author, educator, and homeschooling veteran with over 30 years of experience. A mother of five, Cheryl has homeschooled all her children from the beginning, raising them to excel academically, spiritually, and socially. Her children’s accomplishments speak to her dedication: her oldest recently earned his doctorate, and another child is an adjunct professor. Her third child is a missionary and she homeschooled her teen twins for their elementary and middle school years. Cheryl has witnessed the evolution of homeschooling firsthand, from limited curriculum options in its early days to today’s abundance of resources, including the integration of online education as an essential tool. Cheryl has a deep commitment to enabling Black families to adopt homeschooling. She believes homeschooling has the potential to level the playing field in education, offering families an opportunity to break free from limitations and create customized learning environments.
Carter's books include: Writing Success: Essential Writing Skills for the College-Bound Student: A Comprehensive College Preparatory Writing Program Grades 6-12; Inspire the Writer in Your Child! Revitalize Your Child's Love of Writing in 20 Easy Lessons; and Organize Your ADD/ADHD Child: A Practical Guide for Parents.
Carter's books include: Writing Success: Essential Writing Skills for the College-Bound Student: A Comprehensive College Preparatory Writing Program Grades 6-12; Inspire the Writer in Your Child! Revitalize Your Child's Love of Writing in 20 Easy Lessons; and Organize Your ADD/ADHD Child: A Practical Guide for Parents.
Jade Weatherington, M.Ed, serves as the CEO and Founder of Teacher Jade's Writing Academy. With fifteen years of online teaching experience, she transformed her side hustle of teaching online into a thriving business following her departure from a traditional teaching role. This was when she began her homeschooling journey as well. Beyond her academy, she also guides aspiring entrepreneurs in creating, marketing, and selling online resources.
She has been featured in dozens of publications due to her success as an online entrepreneur, including Forbes, Yahoo, HBCU Connect, Canvas Rebel, CNBC, and Business Insider. Jade has participated in previous BFHES teach-ins and events.
She has been featured in dozens of publications due to her success as an online entrepreneur, including Forbes, Yahoo, HBCU Connect, Canvas Rebel, CNBC, and Business Insider. Jade has participated in previous BFHES teach-ins and events.
Matthew Rankin, PhD, earned his doctorate from the Department of Sociology at Emory University. His academic concentrations center the areas of social inequality and social psychology. More specifically, his topical interests pertain to class-, gender-, and race-based relational dynamics in various educational spaces. His dissertation--entitled For Our Children: How Black Parents Approach Homeschooling--examines the motivational, curricular, and instructional dynamics of Black families’ homeschooling praxes.
He is founder of Homeschool for the Culture and homeschools his son with his wife.
He is founder of Homeschool for the Culture and homeschools his son with his wife.
Natalie Mack is an experienced author, TEDx speaker, educational consultant and military home educator, with over 23 years of service to military homeschooling families and leadership in support groups. She is the proud mother of five children, four of whom are college graduates and a current 12th grader.
Through her business, Natalie Mack LLC, she offers consultations to homeschoolers, assisting with navigating how to homeschool well, She is also the founder of Military Homeschoolers Association (MHA) which is an advocacy and resource support nonprofit for military homeschoolers. The podcast Base2Base Military Homeschooling is a service of MHA and is viewable on the MHA YouTube channel.
Additionally, she developed the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Military Community Outreach Program. This program offers connections for military homeschoolers, legal assistance and HSLDA educational resources.
Her TEDx speech on The Impact of Homeschooling has over 27K views on YouTube. Her insights on military life have been published in outlets like The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, with articles such as “Fair Winds and Following Seas” and several other magazines. She is the magazine’s new columnist for Military Homeschooling. Natalie is also the author of 101 Tips for Homeschoolers available on Amazon. She is currently working on Homeschooling on the Move: Military-Style, a guide for military homeschooling families.
Through her business, Natalie Mack LLC, she offers consultations to homeschoolers, assisting with navigating how to homeschool well, She is also the founder of Military Homeschoolers Association (MHA) which is an advocacy and resource support nonprofit for military homeschoolers. The podcast Base2Base Military Homeschooling is a service of MHA and is viewable on the MHA YouTube channel.
Additionally, she developed the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Military Community Outreach Program. This program offers connections for military homeschoolers, legal assistance and HSLDA educational resources.
Her TEDx speech on The Impact of Homeschooling has over 27K views on YouTube. Her insights on military life have been published in outlets like The Old Schoolhouse Magazine, with articles such as “Fair Winds and Following Seas” and several other magazines. She is the magazine’s new columnist for Military Homeschooling. Natalie is also the author of 101 Tips for Homeschoolers available on Amazon. She is currently working on Homeschooling on the Move: Military-Style, a guide for military homeschooling families.
Aimbriel Lasley was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN which she always refers to as “Naptown”. She moved to GA 3 years ago with her husband and three boys, while her oldest daughter remained in Indiana. Homeschooling has been such a joy from the start even through the challenges as this journey has helped her to grow to be a better person overall. Holistic health is one of her other passions and she finds ways to weave in those teaching to her kids and the community.
Santana Brightly is a homeschooled student.
Queen Taese, also known as the Queen of Black Homeschooling, is an award winning master educator for 20+ years, a 3 category bestselling author, international keynote speaker, curriculum developer, Black homeschool/educational consultant, and visionary who is a trailblazing business woman and homeschool mother for over 23 years. She has worked directly with over 50,000 Black children and families in diverse settings and has now officially expanded her brand to 12 countries having an even greater impact throughout the Afrikan Diaspora.
Queen Taese has founded the Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & Educational Institute, which is
an educational empire forging a new reality for the wholistic cultivation of children throughout the Afrikan
Diaspora. Its tri-fold mission consists of the cultural development of Black children as scholars, leaders, passion-preneurs, and innovators that serve the Black community; empowerment of the Black family, and the creation and maintenance of the intergenerational wealth that is needed to shape a future full of prosperity, power, and legacy. The Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & Education Institute features an online campus for both youth and adults, and a remarkable membership while serving as a pillar that provides culturally relevant resources, trainings, and vast options of everyday support for a true ”Liberation Lifestyle.” Queen Taese has participated in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd BFHES Virtual Teach-Ins.
Queen Taese has founded the Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & Educational Institute, which is
an educational empire forging a new reality for the wholistic cultivation of children throughout the Afrikan
Diaspora. Its tri-fold mission consists of the cultural development of Black children as scholars, leaders, passion-preneurs, and innovators that serve the Black community; empowerment of the Black family, and the creation and maintenance of the intergenerational wealth that is needed to shape a future full of prosperity, power, and legacy. The Liberated Minds Black Homeschool & Education Institute features an online campus for both youth and adults, and a remarkable membership while serving as a pillar that provides culturally relevant resources, trainings, and vast options of everyday support for a true ”Liberation Lifestyle.” Queen Taese has participated in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd BFHES Virtual Teach-Ins.
Alycia Wright, M.Ed. is a former public educator turned homeschooling mother. Currently homeschooling three daughters with another one in a specialty high school. Alycia runs a homeschool cooperative for children of color in Virginia. She places emphasis on the importance of using a culturally relevant pedagogy and creating diverse homeschool communities & experiences. She is the Director of Radical Inclusion with Together We Will USA, Founder & Director of Cultural Roots Homeschool Cooperative, Director of Inspired Learning RVA, and an African-American Studies teacher through SEA Online Classes and Outschool. Alycia was a speaker in the 2nd and 3rd Annual BFHES Virtual Teach-In.
Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman, Ed.D. is a visionary leader and community organizer, nationally recognized speaker, and writer. A playwright, she has had more than a dozen of her plays presented publicly in venues throughout the country, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Theater Alliance, and Baltimore Theater Project. She was a Theater Alliance Quadrant Playwright from 2019-2021, a 2019 Fulbright-Hays scholar, a 2015 Maryland State Arts Council Independent Artist awardee and a 2012 Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund Forty Under 40 awardee. She is the second Poet Laureate of Prince George's County, MD (2023-2026).
Dr. Ali-Coleman homeschooled her daughter off and on for 13 years. She is author of the poetry collections For the Girls Who Do Too Much (2024), and The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), the children’s book Mariah’s Maracas and co-editor of the book Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture. She is founder of Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars, LLC (BFHES), Liberated Arts Group and the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice, Inc. She is an associate professor in the humanities at Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD.
Dr. Ali-Coleman homeschooled her daughter off and on for 13 years. She is author of the poetry collections For the Girls Who Do Too Much (2024), and The Summoning of Black Joy (2023), the children’s book Mariah’s Maracas and co-editor of the book Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice and Popular Culture. She is founder of Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars, LLC (BFHES), Liberated Arts Group and the 501(c)3 nonprofit, Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice, Inc. She is an associate professor in the humanities at Coppin State University in Baltimore, MD.
Nichelle Nelson is a veteran homeschool mom with 25 years of experience. She was an Air Force brat, an Air Force wife, and is now an Air Force mom. She and her husband spent 12 years living overseas in Europe and Asia. She and her husband successfully homeschooled three of their children from birth to Baylor University and beyond.
Nichelle holds an AA in History from Austin Community College where she was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She was a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in History from Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU in the heart of Austin. She holds an MS Ed in Multicultural Studies with an emphasis in Social Justice from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. She is currently pursuing an MA in History from Sam Houston State University.
She brings to her virtual classroom her unique perspective on the lives of other cultures. She has a passion for teaching critical thinking and research skills through the study of history and utilizing project-based learning and educational technology. Nichelle has participated in previous teach-ins and BFHES events.
Nichelle holds an AA in History from Austin Community College where she was a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. She was a member of the Golden Key Honor Society and graduated summa cum laude with a BA in History from Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU in the heart of Austin. She holds an MS Ed in Multicultural Studies with an emphasis in Social Justice from the University of Houston - Clear Lake. She is currently pursuing an MA in History from Sam Houston State University.
She brings to her virtual classroom her unique perspective on the lives of other cultures. She has a passion for teaching critical thinking and research skills through the study of history and utilizing project-based learning and educational technology. Nichelle has participated in previous teach-ins and BFHES events.
Genice Lee is an art and antiques appraiser with over 20 years of experience helping families and institutions assess the value of cultural objects. She has a background in education, having taught in Prince George’s County, MD, and in Okayama, Japan. Genice and her husband homeschooled their daughter. She serves on the board of 12 Freedoms Gained and the Personal Property Committee of the American Society of Appraisers, with a mission to empower others to create lasting legacies.
Kendra Price, a former public school chemistry teacher turned homeschool mom, is in her 11th year of homeschooling. She has four children and graduated her first college-bound homeschool graduate in 2023.
Kendra is host of the A Heart 4 Homeschool podcast, and runs a blog of the same name. She is an advocate of 4-H as a resource for homeschoolers and works with homeschool communities as an educator and consultant. Her journey will be featured in the forthcoming book, "Homeschooling Black Children on a College Pathway," presented by Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars and edited by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Kendra has participated in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th BFHES Teach-In.
Kendra is host of the A Heart 4 Homeschool podcast, and runs a blog of the same name. She is an advocate of 4-H as a resource for homeschoolers and works with homeschool communities as an educator and consultant. Her journey will be featured in the forthcoming book, "Homeschooling Black Children on a College Pathway," presented by Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars and edited by Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman. Kendra has participated in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th BFHES Teach-In.
Jasmine Price is a homeschooled student.
Dr. Jason Esters attended Jackson State University and received his Ph.D in English from Temple University. He is unapologetically Black and an unabashed follower of Christ. He has been a community advocate for social justice and education reform in Philadelphia for well over a decade and is now an Assistant Professor of English at the Community College of Philadelphia. He is co-owner of Willis Esters educational services which offers homeschool evaluation services and other supports for homeschooling families. He is also host of the podcast, Black Men Homeschool. Dr. Esters has participated in the 2nd and 3rd BFHES Virtual Teach-In.
Christal Gamble Banks is a popular social media influencer who shares on all things related to giftedness, Homeschool resources, edifying literature and art, and local community, and international travels.
She shares resources on her IG page that is a joint venture she implements with her youngest son, Cash Banks to share their journey in Home Education. From time to time her two older Boys, Bakarri and Kaddesh (Twins and both active duty AirForce) and her Hubby, Vincent, may grace the page, but most times you’ll just see Christal and Cash. Christal participatedi in the 3rd BFHES Teach-In
She shares resources on her IG page that is a joint venture she implements with her youngest son, Cash Banks to share their journey in Home Education. From time to time her two older Boys, Bakarri and Kaddesh (Twins and both active duty AirForce) and her Hubby, Vincent, may grace the page, but most times you’ll just see Christal and Cash. Christal participatedi in the 3rd BFHES Teach-In
Journei Bimwala is an urban forager, clinical herbalist, educator, and Bronx native. Journei is a steward of health, food, and culture, spending much of her time empowering people to strengthen their connections between themselves and the land. Her mission to teach people how to reclaim their roots through foraging is a practice she learned from her own family. She also teaches people plant knowledge and how to forage for food and medicine through her organization, Each One Carry One. Since 2017, she has been co-chair of the Bronx River Foodway at Concrete Plant Park, one of New York City’s rare sustainable food landscapes and its only edible food forest where people can forage legally. Journei participated in the 1st BFHES Teach-in.
Akil Parker is the founder and CEO of All This Math, LLC, an educational services company aimed at drastically improving the relationship between Mathematics and the Black Community. The company offers math tutoring as well as educational consulting and professional development for schools. All This Math also maintains a free YouTube channel where viewers can get simplified math instruction infused with Black History and culture. More recently, Mr. Parker has begun offering parent workshops to help parents understand “New Math” and be able to help their children with math homework assignments.
He is currently a math professor at Cheyney University and has taught high school math for a total of 19 years throughout Philadelphia. He is the author of 'How To Use All This Math, Volume 1' published in June 2023, a guidebook instructing parents/guardians in how to use everyday activities to develop arithmetic and algebra skills.
His greatest achievement is being a father of three children. Lastly, Akil Parker is a firm believer that math should be used as a tool of liberation for people of African descent globally. Akil Parker is a regular participant in the BFHES Teach-In community.
He is currently a math professor at Cheyney University and has taught high school math for a total of 19 years throughout Philadelphia. He is the author of 'How To Use All This Math, Volume 1' published in June 2023, a guidebook instructing parents/guardians in how to use everyday activities to develop arithmetic and algebra skills.
His greatest achievement is being a father of three children. Lastly, Akil Parker is a firm believer that math should be used as a tool of liberation for people of African descent globally. Akil Parker is a regular participant in the BFHES Teach-In community.
Dr. Dannielle Joy Davis is a tenured Associate Professor of Higher Education at Saint Louis University. She is the first known African American woman (descended from skilled captive Mende, Temne, and Fula people in the United States) to earn tenure in the history of the institution’s School of Education. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, she has studied and conducted research in Ghana, South Africa, Senegal, Egypt, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium. Her interdisciplinary research examines the experiences of marginalized groups in educational settings. Dr. Davis is the twice elected Chair of the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA’s) Spirituality and Education Special Interest Group (SIG) and has served within the leadership of AERA’s Qualitative Research SIG. She has published over 65 refereed journal articles, book chapters, volumes, academic commentaries, and reviews.
She is a formerly homeschooled student and homeschools her son. Dr. Davis participated in the 1st BFHES Teach-In and has participated in subsequent BFHES events.
She is a formerly homeschooled student and homeschools her son. Dr. Davis participated in the 1st BFHES Teach-In and has participated in subsequent BFHES events.
Chanita Williams is a homeschooling mother and founder of S.H.E. Training and Consulting (STC), a company committed to assisting families in closing the educational gap.
STC provides ongoing tutorial services, and after school academic enrichment programs for students K-12. STC's enrichment, STEM, and social emotional learning programs seek to follow evidenced-based strategies such as building student resilience, creative and critical thinking skills that will strengthen school and family relationships, mentoring students, and higher academic enrichment.
STC provides ongoing tutorial services, and after school academic enrichment programs for students K-12. STC's enrichment, STEM, and social emotional learning programs seek to follow evidenced-based strategies such as building student resilience, creative and critical thinking skills that will strengthen school and family relationships, mentoring students, and higher academic enrichment.
Amber O’Neal Johnston is an author and established authority on including diverse voices in traditional curriculum and infusing culture and love for others into an intentional home environment. She shares her observations on education, living books, and worldschooling at HeritageMom.com, and connects with followers on Instagram @heritagemomblog. She is a regular contributor to the wildly successful Wild + Free homeschooling community, a frequent podcast guest on popular shows, and a coveted speaker at homeschool, education, and parenting conferences.
A product of public education and daughter of two public school principals, Amber never expected to fall head over heels in love with homeschooling. During one late-night session of perusing educational philosophies, Amber stumbled upon the work of nineteenth-century British educator Charlotte Mason and her home education principles. Convinced that homeschooling was a path to a lifegiving home, Amber embarked on a journey from stay-at-home mom to homeschooling enthusiast.
Amber speaks, writes, and shares her observations on inclusive and culturally-rich home education, family history, lifegiving books, the beauty of homemaking, global travel, and more, and when asked about her path she likes to smile and say, “In my house, Charlotte Mason has an afro.”
A product of public education and daughter of two public school principals, Amber never expected to fall head over heels in love with homeschooling. During one late-night session of perusing educational philosophies, Amber stumbled upon the work of nineteenth-century British educator Charlotte Mason and her home education principles. Convinced that homeschooling was a path to a lifegiving home, Amber embarked on a journey from stay-at-home mom to homeschooling enthusiast.
Amber speaks, writes, and shares her observations on inclusive and culturally-rich home education, family history, lifegiving books, the beauty of homemaking, global travel, and more, and when asked about her path she likes to smile and say, “In my house, Charlotte Mason has an afro.”
Jae Carter is the developer of the Homeschool Yo Kids App, the organizer of the Homeschool Yo Kids Expos, and the founder of Homeschool Yo Kids Organization. Jae participated in the 3rd BFHES teach-in.
Nathaniel Mack is a homeschooled student.
Dr. Sherri Mehta is a Maryland-based presenter, writer, 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 and specializes in African American Civil War letters and nineteenth-century African American and American Literature. She has several published articles, encyclopedia entries, and poems; has presented at various local, state, and national conferences; and continues to offer workshops and presentations at local museums, research centers, and universities. Her research allowed her the opportunity to serve as a historical consultant on the Grammy Award winning song “Juneteenth” by Fyutch and the Alphabet Rockers. You can find her teaching homeschool literature classes, reading good books, writing some poems, and enjoying her family and close friends.
She homeschools her two youngest sons, runs a homeschool nonprofit and runs a business teaching homeschoolers through her company Freedom Fighters Freedom Writers. Dr. Mehta has participated in the 4th BFHES Virtual Teach-In.
She homeschools her two youngest sons, runs a homeschool nonprofit and runs a business teaching homeschoolers through her company Freedom Fighters Freedom Writers. Dr. Mehta has participated in the 4th BFHES Virtual Teach-In.
