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Our Team

Dr. Khadijah Z. Ali-Coleman 

Founding Director 

Khari Dawson

Programs & Operations Coordinator

Our Mission

Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES) is dedicated to fostering a thriving community for Black homeschooling families by bridging the gap between scholarly research and practical application. Through our innovative teach-ins, publications, and virtual platforms, we empower families with culturally relevant resources, support, and knowledge. Our mission is to create an affirming space where educators, researchers, and homeschooling parents can connect, share insights, and enhance the educational experiences of Black children. We are committed to expanding the literature on Black homeschooling and providing opportunities for professional development, community engagement, and academic excellence.


Our History

Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars (BFHES)

How We Began
How We Began

Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars (BFHES), LLC is a family-run education research organization. BFHES was co-founded in April 2020 by Black homeschool researcher Dr. Khadijah Ali-Coleman. At the time, Dr. Ali-Coleman had just defended her doctoral dissertation on dual-enrolled African American homeschooled students and their perceptions of preparedness for community college. Amid the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was offered an opportunity to publish her dissertation as a book. Instead, she chose to edit an anthology that would amplify Black voices in the homeschooling space, addressing a gap she had observed during her research.

As a homeschooling mother and researcher, Dr. Ali-Coleman sought to expand the research literature and create a platform for other parents and scholars to share their experiences and studies. This vision led to the creation of the Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars Virtual Teach-In, which debuted in summer 2020. The inaugural event featured over 20 speakers and drew more than 200 participants for a week-long program. Simultaneously, BFHES initiated a call for submissions for the anthology Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice & Popular Culture. Released in 2022, the book features chapters from over 12 contributors and became the first publication in the Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling series, published in collaboration with Information Age Publishing.

New Team

In late 2021, Dr. Ali-Coleman became the sole owner and managing director of BFHES, which is formally registered in Maryland but serves a national audience. The organization continues to bridge research and practice by publishing scholarly works and engaging homeschooling practitioners.

In 2024, with support from a grant from VELA, BFHES hired its first staff member, Khari Dawson, as the programs and operations coordinator.

Khari Dawson is a graduate of the University of San Francisco, an emerging writer and filmmaker, and a former homeschooled student. She brings unique insights as someone who was homeschooled during her P-12 educational journey, including high school. While homeschooling, she earned an associate’s degree and was recognized for her academic achievements in the Baltimore Times. Khari received a full-tuition scholarship to the University of San Francisco, where she graduated magna cum laude in 2024 with a BA in English and a minor in Film Studies. Her professional experience includes working with homeschooling families as an educator, developing language arts curricula, and serving as a board member for Black Writers for Peace and Social Justice. She is the face of our 2022 book, Homeschooling Black Children in the US: Theory, Practice & Popular Culture, which features a photo of her when she was 7 years-old. 

Join Our Community

BFHES remains active in the homeschooling community through its podcast, Contemporary Perspectives on Black Homeschooling, and a vibrant Facebook group that has grown to over 4,000 members since July 2020.

The organization's mission, established in 2020, is to promote ongoing community engagement with Black homeschooling through (1) publishing scholarly and trade works and (2) producing community events for Black homeschool families and entrepreneurs. Since 2022, BFHES has expanded its focus to include training Black parents on homeschooling best practices and youth development theory, as well as connecting them to resources and opportunities to enhance their homeschooling journeys.

BFHES is the first U.S.-based research and education group dedicated exclusively to Black family homeschooling.

LISTEN

to our podcast
CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES ON BLACK HOMESCHOOLING

SUBSCRIBE

to our YouTube Channel

SUBMIT

your book manuscript to our book series with IAP

JOIN

our virtual communities

Our Community of Black Family Homeschool Educators & Scholars Continues to Grow

BFHES in the Media